Cancer Research | Penn Today

Entering a new phase in cell therapy for glioblastoma

Donald M. O’Rourke, director of the Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence at Penn Medicine, and others are exploring cellular immunotherapies as a potential better option for deadly brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme.

Illustration representing T cells attacking cancer cells

A new class of CAR T cells targets previously untargetable cancer drivers

Focusing on neuroblastoma, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have harnessed the immune system to destroy tumors.

Medical professional looking closely with a smartphone lens at pigment on a person’s arm.

Drugs designed for prostate cancer may treat melanoma in men

A new Penn study finds that testosterone contributes to sex differences in melanoma via the activation of the zinc transporter ZIP9.

BRCA1 vs. BRCA2: What to know about these gene mutations and breast cancer

Payal Shah of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed the gene mutations that can lead to breast, ovarian, and other cancers.

A Black woman standing at a mammogram machine with a mammogram technician in the foreground.

Black women face increased risk of triple negative breast cancers

An analysis of nearly 200,000 patients highlights the heterogeneity of breast cancer risk factors for women of differing races, ages, and disease subtypes.

Lab with vials of tissue samples in foreground, microscope in back.

Penn Medicine and Wistar awarded $11.7 million melanoma research grant

The Specialized Programs of Research Excellence, or SPORE, grant from the National Cancer Institute will fund three new melanoma research projects over five years.

microscopic rendering of three solid tumors being attacked by CAR T cells.

Engineering CAR T cells to activate a bodily response to solid tumors

A new Penn study shows that CAR T cells expressing RN7SL1, a naturally occurring RNA, can activate the body’s natural immune cells against difficult-to-treat cancers.

Patient and doctor wearing masks, one wearing a gown about to get a mammogram.

Breast cancer diagnosis in the ‘between’ year: Body mass index matters

While breast density—a characteristic that can help tumors hide from mammography—has attracted a lot of attention from clinicians, a new study finds evidence that body mass index, or BMI, is also important, especially in the year between screenings.

John Glick standing with arms crossed in a white lab coat.

The cancer fighters: John Glick and a legacy of a half century in oncology

A major figure in the fight against cancer, John Glick reflects on his career after decades of working with the Perelman School of Medicine and as director of Penn’s National Cancer Institute for more than 20 years, treating thousands of patients during his tenure.

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