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Katherine Unger Baillie
Senior Science News Officer
kbaillie@upenn.edu
Cancer Research
How mRNA vaccines help fight cancer tumors
How mRNA vaccines help fight cancer tumors
Penn researchers are looking to mRNA vaccines for applications outside of infectious diseases, as they can not only prompt strong antibody responses to fight off invaders, like COVID-19, but also potent cytotoxic T cell responses.
Black and white women have same mutations linked to breast cancer risk
Black and white women have same mutations linked to breast cancer risk
The prevalence of genetic mutations associated with breast cancer in Black and white women is the same, but the takeaway is not to change testing guidelines based on race alone, but focus on ensuring equal access to and uptake of testing to minimize disparities in care and outcomes.
Pinpointing how cancer cells turn aggressive
Pinpointing how cancer cells turn aggressive
Penn scientists have developed a new method for tracing the lineage and gene expression patterns of metastatic cancer at the single-cell level.
‘Electronic nose’ accurately sniffs out hard-to-detect cancers
‘Electronic nose’ accurately sniffs out hard-to-detect cancers
An odor-based test that sniffs out vapors emanating from blood samples was able to distinguish between benign and pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells with up to 95% accuracy.
Neuro-oncologist joins Penn’s mission to fight brain cancer
Neuro-oncologist joins Penn’s mission to fight brain cancer
Richard Phillips, a Presidential Assistant Professor of Neurology and member of the Penn Epigenetics Institute, hopes to bring glioma research out of the “basement.”
Abramson Cancer Center doubles the percentage of Black participants in clinical trials
Abramson Cancer Center doubles the percentage of Black participants in clinical trials
Afive-year community outreach and engagement effort more than doubled the percentage of participants, improving access and treatment for a group with historically low representation in cancer research.
COVID’s impact on cancer care comes more into focus
COVID’s impact on cancer care comes more into focus
With the disruption of cancer care since the pandemic began in March 2020, recent reports are starting to show that the interruption—while still significant—may not be as detrimental as experts originally feared.
Ingredient in Indian long pepper shows promise against brain cancer
Ingredient in Indian long pepper shows promise against brain cancer
Penn scientists use cryo-electron microscopy to illuminate how a chemical compound found in the plant, piperlongumine, works against glioblastoma.
Four Penn faculty elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Four Penn faculty elected to the National Academy of Sciences
The new members of the Academy, honored scholars recognized for their unique and ongoing contributions to original research, include researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine, School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Annenberg School for Communication.
Immunotherapy alone extended life for certain metastatic lung cancer patients
Immunotherapy alone extended life for certain metastatic lung cancer patients
Penn Medicine researchers show that patients harboring a KRAS gene mutation with high levels of PDL-1 lived longer when treated with immunotherapy alone, compared to patients without this mutation.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
More Black patients are participating in clinical trials for cancer treatment at Penn thanks to this effort
Carmen Guerra and Armenta Washington of the Abramson Cancer Center spoke about their efforts to enroll more Black patients with cancer in clinical trials. “When we conduct research, we want to say that what we learn applies to all people,” said Guerra. “But that might not be the case if we are just studying one population.”
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CBS News
Cancer Moonshot project launched by President Biden 5 years ago leading to many breakthroughs
Robert Vonderheide of Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center in the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the Cancer Moonshot project, which has led to major federal funding for cancer research and subsequently, new treatments for patients. “It’s new initiatives, new therapies, and new ways importantly to prevent cancer in the first place,” he said.
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The Washington Post
For those at risk for cancer, weighing the risk of COVID-19 with delays in screening and treatment
Lawrence Shulman of the Perelman School of Medicine says declining numbers of new cancer diagnoses over the past four months don’t mean fewer people actually have cancer. “There are a lot of patients out there who have cancer but are not undergoing diagnosis and entry into the cancer care system,” he said.
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New Scientist
CRISPR cancer trial finds that gene-edited immune cells are safe
Edward Stadtmauer and Carl June of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about a clinical trial that found it safe to inject CRISPR gene-edited immune cells into people with advanced cancer.
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Science
Deciphering a cancer treatment’s dark side
Saar Gill of the Perelman School of Medicine said it would be easier to treat cancer using CAR-T cell therapy without the looming possibility of triggering cytokine release syndrome.
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Scientific American
Could immunotherapy treat diseases besides cancer?
Jonathan Epstein of the Perelman School of Medicine is quoted on how immunotherapy has transformed cancer care.
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