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Cancer Research

Tumor-on-a-chip offers insight into cancer-fighting cells in immunotherapy
Hand holding a microdevice

Penn engineers and collaborators have developed a transparent, micro-engineered device that houses a living, vascularized model of human lung cancer—a “tumor on a chip”—and show that the diabetes drug vildagliptin helps more CAR T cells break through the tumor’s defenses and attack it effectively.

(Image: Courtesy of Dan Huh)

Tumor-on-a-chip offers insight into cancer-fighting cells in immunotherapy

Penn engineers and collaborators have built a living tumor on a chip to expose how cancers block immune attacks, and how one existing drug could make immunotherapy like CAR T more effective against solid tumors.

3 min. read

Dogs with cancer are helping save lives—both canine and human
Nicola Mason, Antonia Rotolo, and Mary Beth Boland with Rex, first dog treated on metastatic osteosarcoma trial.

(Left to right) Nicola Mason, Mary Beth Boland, and Antonia Rotolo with Rex, first dog treated on metastatic osteosarcoma trial.

nocred

Dogs with cancer are helping save lives—both canine and human

The Comparative Immunotherapy Program led by Penn Vet’s Nicola Mason is redefining how therapies are developed and tested—uniting human and veterinary medicine to move promising immunotherapies forward.

4 min. read