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Cancer Research

New ways to modulate cell activity remotely
3D rendering of cells on a blue backdrop

Cells are dynamic, fast-changing, complex, tiny, and often hard-to-see in environments that don’t always behave in predictable ways when exposed to external stimuli. Now, researchers led by Lukasz Bugaj of the School of Engineering and Applied Science have found new ways to modulate cell activity remotely.

(Image: iStock/Maksim Tkachenko)

New ways to modulate cell activity remotely

Penn researchers use temperature to guide cellular behavior, promising better diagnostics and targeted therapies.
Developing a tiny anticancer weapon
A cancer cell breaking up.

Image: iStock/Bahaa_Aladdin

Developing a tiny anticancer weapon

Penn Medicine researchers have developed tumor-homing nanosized particles that trigger cancer cell self-destruction in preclinical tests.
Brain tumor organoids accurately model patient response to CAR T cell therapy
Microscopic view of a glioblastoma organoid.

A patient-derived glioblastoma organoid treated with dual-target CAR-T cells. T cells (magenta) infiltrate the tumor organoid and kill tumor cells (blue; yellow indicates dying cells).

(Image: Yusha Sun and Xin Wang from the laboratories of Guo-li Ming and Hongjun Song)

Brain tumor organoids accurately model patient response to CAR T cell therapy

Lab-grown tumors respond to cell therapy the same as tumors in the patients’ brains, according to researchers at Penn Medicine.

Kelsey Geesler

2 min. read

Easing patient fears of radiation treatment, via virtual reality
People holding VR headsets at a display table.

Peter Decherney (far left), professor of cinema and media studies in the School of Arts & Sciences, is the instructor of the undergraduate Virtual Reality Lab spring course.

(Image: Courtesy of Penn Medicine News)

Easing patient fears of radiation treatment, via virtual reality

Before their first dose of radiation, cancer patients can shadow another patient’s treatment and get a private behind-the-scenes tour with the team members via virtual reality.

From Penn Medicine News