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Cancer Research
Innovative vaccine offers canine cancer patients a shot at a longer, happier life
Innovative vaccine offers canine cancer patients a shot at a longer, happier life
Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer to affect dogs. It is a painful and aggressive disease. Affecting more than 10,000 dogs annually, predominantly larger breeds, it kills more than 85 percent within two years.
FDA approves CAR T therapy for large B-Cell lymphoma developed at Penn
FDA approves CAR T therapy for large B-Cell lymphoma developed at Penn
The nation’s first approved personalized cellular therapy is now available for a second indication.
Healthy T cells have a fighting chance for cell therapy
Healthy T cells have a fighting chance for cell therapy
Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have a healthy amount of T cells prior to treatment (“early memory” T cells) responded positively to CAR T therapy, highlighting a powerful biomarker for successful therapies for that specific type of leukemia.
Carl June named one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential People
Carl June named one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential People
His work on CAR-T cancer treatment was approved by the FDA in 2017, and this year June is celebrated as an influential global pioneer.
How working dogs are sniffing out cancer
A Center for Public Health Initiatives seminar showcased the collaborative research at Penn and the Monell Chemical Senses Center that is working to detect early stage ovarian cancer.
Personalized tumor vaccine shows promise in pilot trial
Personalized tumor vaccine shows promise in pilot trial
In a study done at the Perelman School of Medicine, researchers report positive results from a cancer vaccine administered to ovarian cancer patients, and are prepared to move forward with further trials.
A new-to-us anatomical feature may benefit cancer research and other diseases
A new-to-us anatomical feature may benefit cancer research and other diseases
The “interstitium” may be a shock absorber to many organs and tissues.
Low-calorie diet enhances intestinal regeneration after injury
Dramatic calorie restriction, diets reduced by 40 percent of a normal calorie total, have long been known to extend health span, the duration of disease-free aging, in animal studies, and even to extend life span in most animal species examined.
Study uncovers therapeutic targets for aggressive triple-negative breast cancers
As part of a breast-cancer diagnosis, doctors analyze the tumor to determine which therapies might best attack the malignancy. But for patients whose cancer is triple-negative — that is, lacking receptors for estrogen, progesterone and Her2 — the options for treatment dwindle. Triple-negative cancers, or TNBC, also tend to be more aggressive than other cancer subtypes.
A new hope for treating triple-negative breast cancer
Breast cancer mortality rates have steadily declined over the past few decades, thanks to a combination of early detection and improved treatments. But for patients diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a subtype in which tumor cells lack receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and Her2, no targeted treatments are available.
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
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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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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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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