3/19
Immunology
Improved gene editing method could power future cell and gene therapies
A new technique based on special cell-penetrating peptides promises advantages over current methods for editing the genomes of primary cells, such as patients’ T cells.
Why Penn research powers many FDA-approved treatments
Since 2017, the FDA approved more than two dozen new therapies with roots at Penn Medicine—almost half of which are first-in-class for their indications.
A potential strategy to improve T cell therapy in solid tumors
A new Penn Medicine preclinical study finds that a new simultaneous “knockout” of two inflammatory regulators boosted T cell expansion to attach solid tumors.
Harnessing an innate protection against Ebola
School of Veterinary Medicine researchers have identified a cellular pathway that keeps Ebola virus from exiting human cells, with implications for developing new antivirals.
Five things to know about this year’s ‘tripledemic’
The Perelman School of Medicine’s E. John Wherry and Scott Hensley discuss the season’s confluence of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV and how our bodies are responding.
CAR T cell therapy may eliminate tumor cells missed by surgery
The results of a study led by Penn Medicine’s Carl June greenlights preclinical trials for the application of CAR T therapy in gel form to surgical wounds following partial tumor removal to eliminate residual tumor cells.
Advances in cancer research
Recent research shows promise in a novel CAR T therapy after cancer relapse, and a novel treatment for multiple myeloma.
CAR T cell therapy reaches beyond cancer
Penn Medicine researchers laud the early results for CAR T therapy in lupus patients, which point to broader horizons for the use of personalized cellular therapies.
NIH-funded canine immunotherapy data center charts a path toward transformative therapies
With support recently granted for five more years, Nicola Mason of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Qi Long of the Perelman School of Medicine hope their work leads to new insights in cancer care for people as well as pets.
$50M gift to accelerate Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn Medicine
The center for autoimmune research brings together star faculty, powering the next generation of autoimmune disease advances.
In the News
The mRNA miracle workers
Nobel laureates Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine appear on “Sunday Morning” to discuss their careers, their mRNA research, and the COVID-19 vaccines.
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Blood tests can help diagnose Alzheimer’s—if they’re accurate enough. Not all are
Virginia Man-Yee Lee of the Perelman School of Medicine says it’s likely in the future that anyone older than 60 will get an Alzheimer’s test.
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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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Godfather of mRNA vaccines reveals plans to immunize people against cancer years before tumors strike to ‘the disease from ever appearing’
Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine, who won the Nobel Prize for mRNA vaccines along with Katalin Karikó, is researching an mRNA vaccine against cancer.
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Is the flu shot market a slam dunk for mRNA vaccines? Experts aren’t so sure
Scott Hensley of the Perelman School of Medicine is working on a flu vaccine to provide protection against 20 subtypes of flu that may pose a pandemic threat in the future.
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Trial results offer hope to Kiwis with ‘incurable’ blood cancer
Carl June of the Perelman School of Medicine praises New Zealand research into a new CAR T-cell cancer treatment for patients with blood cancer.
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