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Katherine Unger Baillie
Science News Officer
kbaillie@upenn.edu
Cancer Research
Alternative immune cells may surpass T cells to fight solid tumors
Alternative immune cells may surpass T cells to fight solid tumors
Penn researchers have shown success using genetically engineered macrophages, an immune cell that eats invaders in the body, to target solid tumors.
Penn is fighting pancreatic cancer
Penn is fighting pancreatic cancer
Researchers within the Penn Pancreatic Research Center and beyond continue to seek innovative ways to treat and detect this deadly disease—and are making promising progress.
A new way to predict lung cancer treatment response: The blood test
A new way to predict lung cancer treatment response: The blood test
A Penn study shows a better clinical response to immunotherapy correlates with higher ratio of tumor mutations detected by a liquid biopsy.
Working on ‘the human side’ of heritable cancers
Working on ‘the human side’ of heritable cancers
How do you talk about cancer risk? How do you make major life decisions knowing you are likely to develop cancer? Allison Werner-Lin looks at these questions, studying the intersection of genetics and family life.
CRISPR-edited immune cells can survive and thrive after infusion into cancer patients
CRISPR-edited immune cells can survive and thrive after infusion into cancer patients
In the first U.S. clinical trial, cells removed from patients and brought back into the lab were able to kill cancer months after their original manufacturing and infusion.
Defect driving resistance to CAR T therapy identified
Defect driving resistance to CAR T therapy identified
A new study identifies the mechanism that prevents cell death, and can guide future immunotherapy strategies in patients whose blood cancers are resistant to CAR T therapy.
Penn nanoparticles are less toxic to T cells engineered for cancer immunotherapy
Penn nanoparticles are less toxic to T cells engineered for cancer immunotherapy
By using messenger RNA across the T cell’s membrane via a nanoparticle instead of a DNA-rewriting virus on extracted T cells, CAR T treatments could have fewer side effects.
Lab-grown brain organoids, rapidly deployed, can fight glioblastomas
Lab-grown brain organoids, rapidly deployed, can fight glioblastomas
Glioblastoma organoids grown from patients’ own glioblastoma tissue can be used to investigate personalized treatment approaches in time-sensitive cases.
An entire course of radiation treatment in under one second
An entire course of radiation treatment in under one second
Findings related to FLASH radiotherapy—using protons rather than electrons—prove feasible in the future for cancer therapy.
Proton therapy lowers risk of side effects in cancer patients
Proton therapy lowers risk of side effects in cancer patients
Proton therapy leads to a significantly lower risk of side effects severe enough to lead to unplanned hospitalizations for cancer patients when compared with traditional radiation. Cure rates between the two groups are almost identical.
Media Contact
Experts
In the News
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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Philadelphia Inquirer
The world’s first T-cell therapy for a solid tumor cancer is made in Philly
Carl June of the Perelman School of Medicine commented on news of Iovance Biotherapeutics’ new facilities in South Philadelphia. “Recent advances in the understanding of cancer and the immune system have made a compelling case that [tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte] therapy could be effective in diverse cancers beyond melanoma, such as lung cancer and cervical cancer,” he said. “The decision of Iovance to conduct commercial scale manufacturing in the Philadelphia Navy Yard is wonderful news.”
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U.S. News & World Report
Fertility after cancer
Christos Coutifaris and Clarisa Gracia of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about patients’ fertility options after cancer treatment.
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ABC News
Experts offer new recommendations for screening more women for breast cancer
Susan Domcheck of the Basser Center for BRCA at the Abramson Cancer Center said that while new recommendations for the screening for BRCA1 and 2 gene mutations are “very valuable,” they don’t address many persistent problems. She stressed the need for additional research regarding BRCA mutations and risk factors, including the effect of race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
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