4/22
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.
In the News
CNN
There’s still no standard test to detect pancreatic cancer early. Scientists are working to change that
A 2020 study from the Perelman School of Medicine found that a blood test to screen for certain biomarkers associated with pancreatic cancer was 92% accurate in its ability to detect disease.
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Associated Press
A new strategy to attack aggressive brain cancer shrank tumors in two early tests
A clinical trial led by Stephen Bagley of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that targeting two associated proteins with CAR T cell therapy could be a viable strategy for shrinking brain tumors.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
UPenn scientists among those developing vaccines that arm the immune system to fight cancer
Penn Medicine researchers like Nobel laureate Drew Weissman are leading efforts to develop a vaccine that prevents cancer, with remarks from Susan Domchek of the Basser Center for BRCA and Robert H. Vonderheide of the Abramson Cancer Center.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Penn’s BRCA cancer vaccine trial aims to prevent the disease in healthy people
A trial led by Susan Domchek of the Perelman School of Medicine could use a preventive vaccine to protect people with a BRCA gene mutation from cancer.
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Psychology Today
AI detects cancers and immunotherapy biomarker
Daiwei Zhang and Mingyao Li of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues have developed an AI tool called iStar that can automatically spot tumors and types of cancer that are difficult for clinicians to see or identify and can predict candidates for immunotherapy.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Penn started giving cancer patients free rides to appointments. It helped reduce no-shows and increase clinical trial enrollment
The Abramson Cancer Center is attempting to address one of the most common challenges cancer patients face: lack of transportation to critically important appointments. Robert Vonderheide and Carmen Guerra of the Perelman School of Medicine are quoted on the Ride Health initiative.
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