Archived News
2023
AI and disease
Artificial intelligence is a new addition to the infectious disease researcher’s toolbox. In a recent review article, the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s César de la Fuente and colleagues discuss AI’s progress, limitations, and promise in anti-infective drug discovery, infection biology, and diagnostics for infectious diseases.
‘Living Drug’ CAR T Is Taking on Some of Humanity’s Worst Medical Scourges
In a perspective article published in Nature this week, Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, and colleagues, discussed the potential of CAR T cell therapy to tackle a wide range of diseases.
Scientists Inch Closer to Single-Shot Gene Editing for Blood Disorders
Penn Medicine and CHOP researchers have developed a proof-of-concept model for delivering gene editing tools to treat blood disorders, allowing diseased blood cells to be modified directly within the body. “This technology is associated with several innovations suited well to the field of precision medicine,” said Hamideh Parhiz, PharmD, PhD, a research assistant professor of Infectious Diseases.
STAT News • Inside Precision Medicine • Fierce Biotech
More Than Skin-Deep: The Reach of Dermatology Research
Named the president-elect of the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID), the nation’s leading organization for skin research and “the group that raised me,” Aimee Payne, MD, PhD, a professor of Dermatology, explained that dermatology research has broad-reaching applications across health science. “If you’re looking to study a particular cell type from the human body, there is a good chance you can find it in the skin,” Payne said, calling it a “gold mine for basic scientists.”
Read the post on the Penn Medicine News Blog →
Pig Skin May Offer New Weapons Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria
The skin of pigs is closer to humans’ skin than most other animals, and new research by a team led by Elizabeth Grice, PhD, the Sandra J. Lazarus Associate Professor in Dermatology, may provide keys to the fight against drug-resistant MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus). Like humans, pigs maintain a diverse population of bacteria on their skin, and when Grice and colleagues screened those found on pigs’ skin, they found 37 species with direct MRSA-inhibiting abilities — including three that, together, provide protection in a MRSA mouse model.
Key Gene for Extending Ants’ Lives Discovered
New research findings from a team led by Shelley Berger, PhD, the Daniel S. Och University Professor in Cell & Developmental Biology and Genetics, and Karl Gladstad, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher, examine how certain ants extended their lives through an ant gene that closely resembles one in humans called HSF2. The human gene encodes a “heat shock factor” protein, which controls the stress response of cells aimed at keeping other proteins in cells folded properly when temperatures become excessive.
Read the paper in Genes & Development →
No, COVID Vaccines Don’t Contain Nanotechnology That Can Be Programmed via 5G Wireless Networks
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, helps to disprove a rumor that COVID-19 vaccines can be controlled wirelessly via “lipid nanoparticles” in the vaccine, including ones with a “cationic,” or positive, charge. “These charges are very simple, completely normal, chemistry,” Wherry said. "Nothing at all nefarious about this.”
Targeted mRNA Delivery Will Lead to Cheaper Cures for Many Diseases
Research driven by Hamideh Parhiz, PharmD, PhD, a research assistant professor of Infectious Diseases, and other colleagues at Penn and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, showed a way to deliver mRNA into bone marrow, specifically blood-stem cells. The results could lead to new treatments for many infectious and inherited diseases.
Penn Medicine News • Science • New Scientist • Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Psoriasis: Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to More Severe Symptoms
Joel Gelfand, MD, the James J. Leyden, M.D. Endowed Professor in Clinical Investigation and the director of the Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center, commented on a non-Penn study that suggested low vitamin D levels are associated with more extreme psoriasis.
Could Your Gut Hold the Key to Running Motivation?
Led by Christoph Thiass, PhD, an assistant professor of Microbiology, new research revealed a link between the brain and the gut microbiome. Thaiss explained how certain bacteria in the gut increased motivation to exercise in mice.
Gene Therapy Eyedrops Restored a Boy’s Sight. Similar Treatments Could Help Millions
Aimee Payne, MD, a professor of Dermatology and director of the Penn Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, commented on gene-therapy eyedrops to treat a boy’s blindness. The approach “delivers gene therapy that really addresses the root cause of disease,” Payne shared.
Vaccine Boosts CAR T Cell Therapy for Solid Tumors
A preclinical study found that using a vaccine to boost the response of CAR T cells, also helps the immune system to generate new T cells. The MIT study was led by Leyuan Ma, PhD, now an assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine.
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Can Genes Make People Prone to Allergies? Here’s What One Study Reveals
Research at Penn led by Golnaz Vahedi, PhD, an associate professor of Genetics, and Jorge Henao-Mejia, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, discovered how genetic variations that change a particular protein called ETS1 can affect how our bodies react to allergens.
Not skin deep
Aimee Payne of the Perelman School of Medicine, president-elect of the Society for Investigative Dermatology, says that dermatology research is more than skin deep. “The study of dermatology can offer insights into cellular mechanisms and disease treatments for many other parts of the body,” she says.
How Stress Messes with Your Gut
A recent study led by Christoph Thaiss, PhD, an assistant professor of Microbiology, uncovered the cell-types that communicate signals of psychological stress from the brain to the gastrointestinal tract, explaining how stress can cause flare-ups of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Thaiss discussed these findings and how they can inform clinical care for patients with IBD.
Vaccine Boosts CAR T Cell Therapy for Solid Tumors
A preclinical study found that using a vaccine to boost the response of CAR T cells, also helps the immune system to generate new T cells. The MIT study was led by Leyuan Ma, PhD, now an assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine.
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Searching for a cure
Throughout her career, Katalin Susztak of the Perelman School of Medicine has had a profound impact on the way kidney disease is identified, prevented, and managed. Thanks to a combination of human genetic information and a variety of single-cell tools, her team is identifying hundreds of genes likely contributing to kidney disease and dysfunction.
July 2023
Marrow transplants
An experimental antibody treatment in a preclinical study co-authored by Ivan Maillard of the Perelman School of Medicine has largely prevented graft versus host disease, a bone marrow transplant complication, without causing broad immunosuppression. The researchers say that the strategy may allow the use of bone marrow transplants for higher risk patients who aren’t currently eligible for a traditional transplant.
How Sunscreen Became Controversial — and What It Means for You
Victoria Werth, MD, a professor of Dermatology, explained that while there are levels of oxybenzone in frequent sunscreen users, it’s not known whether that’s something threatening to people. “Just because you can measure it, doesn’t mean it’s a problem,” she said.
Scientific Discoveries: Universal Flu Vaccine
Work led by Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, and colleagues to create a universal flu vaccine based on mRNA molecules, was highlighted by The Week as one of 15 major discoveries and achievements to celebrate.
Preventing heart disease
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Daniel Rader is using a new genetic test known as a polygenic risk score to identify the likelihood of heart attacks, reports The New York Times. The risk scores are helping Rader and his colleagues in preventive cardiology make treatment decisions for patients who wouldn’t normally benefit from traditional risk assessments.
Gut Check: How Psychological Stress Drives Gut Inflammation
Doctors have long known that psychological stress can trigger or worsen gut inflammation. This unwanted brain-to-gut connection is a particular issue for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A team led by immunologists Christoph Thaiss, PhD, and Maayan Levy, PhD, both assistant professors in the Department of Microbiology, has detailed how this connection works, concluding that targeting the brain-gut connection could become a major element of IBD care.
Recognizing the Fellows and Scholars of Tomorrow
César de la Fuente, PhD, Presidential Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Microbiology, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Bioengineering, has been named a 2023-2026 National Academy of Medicine Emerging Leaders Scholar for his work on combining human and machine intelligence to accelerate scientific discovery and develop useful tools and life-saving medicines.
Insulin delivery
A new plant-based, oral method of insulin delivery developed by Henry Daniell of the School of Dental Medicine was found to lower the risk of hypoglycemia when compared to current diabetes treatments. Researchers found that their method of delivery, which can also be produced more affordably, regulates blood sugar levels similar to natural insulin.
Genes and allergies
Researchers led by Golnaz Vahedi and Jorge Henao-Mejiaof the Perelman School of Medicine have identified how genetic differences that alter a specific protein can affect the body’s response to allergies. “We discovered that these interactions work like a dimmer switch,” says Vahedi. “When there are changes in the DNA in this area, it can lead to imbalances in our immune cells and cause allergic inflammations.”
Neurons in the Gut Help Explain Why Chronic Stress Can Cause IBD Flare-Ups
A pathway between the brain and the immune system discovered in mice could explain why prolonged stress can exacerbate inflammatory bowel disease, according to a new study from Christoph Thaiss, PhD, an assistant professor of Microbiology.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
June 2023
We May Finally Know Why Psychological Stress Worsens Gut Inflammation
A pathway between the brain and the immune system discovered in mice could explain why prolonged stress can exacerbate inflammatory bowel disease, according to a new study from Christoph Thaiss, PhD, an assistant professor of Microbiology.
Pioneer of Messenger RNA Immunizations Reflects on New Treatments Against Viruses, Bacteria, Cancer
Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery and one of the researchers responsible for breakthrough research that led to the mRNA-vaccine platform, was profiled in El País. She spoke about her partnership with Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, and about the latest, promising mRNA research.
mRNA Flu Vaccine Named Among 15 Recent Scientific Breakthroughs
Work led by Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, and colleagues to create a universal flu vaccine based on mRNA molecules was highlighted by The Week as one of 15 major discoveries and achievements to celebrate.
Multiple Trials Underway to Create a Breast Cancer Vaccine
The Deseret News covered on efforts to create a vaccine for breast cancer. Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, and Susan M. Domchek, MD, executive director of the Basser Center for BRCA, were quoted.
Genetic Sequencing May Identify Cancers Often Missed by Traditional Screening Guidelines
Katherine Nathanson, MD, the Pearl Basser Professor for BRCA-Related Research and deputy director of the Abramson Cancer Center, commented on a large study about genetic sequencing for hereditary cancer syndromes presented at the AACR Annual Meeting in April 2023. She noted the results were consistent with other studies and reinforce the importance of taking a good family history to identify patients who should be referred to genetic counseling and testing.
May 2023
Scientist Revisits Data on Raccoon Dogs and COVID, Stressing the Unknowns
Findings from a new study of genetic data swabbed from a Wuhan market in early 2020 indicate it was difficult to draw conclusions about whether given samples of the virus had come from infected live animals sold there or were simply from incidental contamination. Frederic Bushman, PhD, chair of Microbiology, who was not involved in the study, commented on the findings.
Chronic Stress Can Inflame the Gut — Now Scientists Know Why
Christoph Thaiss, PhD, an assistant professor of Microbiology, explains how chronic stress can trigger physical distress and how managing stress levels might have a profound influence on the effectiveness of treatments for inflammatory bowel disease.
A New Type of Antibiotic, Discovered With Artificial Intelligence, May Defeat a Dangerous Superbug
Commenting on a study about a new type of antibiotic that was discovered with artificial intelligence, César de la Fuente, PhD, a Presidential Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, Microbiology, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Bioengineering, called the approach “sort of next frontier.”
A new era
In the five years since the FDA’s initial approval of CAR T cell therapy, Penn Medicine has gleaned 20 additional approvals for treatments and techniques to fight or detect cancer. “The first drug that came out to activate the immune system inspired the rest of the field to find the next drug and the one after that,” says Robert Vonderheide of the Abramson Cancer Center. “We, as a field, have moved from serendipity and empiricism to science-driven drug design.”
If Bird Flu Spreads to Humans, Existing Vaccines May Be Inadequate
Since 2020, almost 59 million commercial birds have already died from a highly transmissible bird flu, H5N1. While there is no evidence yet that the virus can spread to humans, experts worry that existing flu vaccines would not offer much protection. Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, explained why.
‘Pangenome’ Hopes to Represent More Diverse View of Humans
Sarah Tishkoff, PhD, the David and Lyn Silfen University Professor in Genetics and Biology, commented on a recent study on a new “pangenome” assembled from individuals from around the globe, calling it a “very important resource.”
Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise in Small Clinical Trial
In a recent early-stage clinical trial, eight of 16 pancreatic cancer patients who received a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine after surgery did not have a recurrence of the tumor a year and a half later. Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, was quoted on the new findings.
The Most Influential People in Biopharma in 2023
CAR T cell pioneer Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, was named to Fierce Pharma’s annual list of the Most Influential People in Biopharma. June is widely credited for his work developing T-cell therapies and is seen as a driving force behind CAR-T technology.
Philly’s Biotech Scene Needs More Local Money — Now
A longform story from Philadelphia magazine covers the region’s growing life sciences industry and mentions cell and gene therapy research led by Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, including the work of CAR T cell pioneer Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy.
12,000 Diseases Lack Treatments. One Doctor Thinks Generics Could Yield Cures
David Fajgenbaum, MD, an assistant professor of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics, who found a treatment for his own deadly disease, is now on a mission to help more people with rare diseases. Fajgenbaum recently spoke at the 2023 STAT Breakthrough Summit in San Francisco about how existing FDA approved drugs could hold the cure to other rare diseases.
Medical breakthroughs
Since 2017, the FDA has approved more than two dozen new treatments originating at Penn Medicine, including Carl June’s CAR T cell therapy for leukemia. Penn’s emergence as a hub for medical advancements is a credit to both the culture and strategic choices going back decades, says Jon Epstein of the Perelman School of Medicine. “People here embrace a no-risk, no-reward approach—they aren’t afraid to take the long view.”
Experts: CAR-T Research Is Hampered by Outdated Precautions
During a panel about CAR-T therapy at the STAT News Breakthrough Summit in San Francisco, CAR-T cell pioneer Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, explained why some regulatory barriers could be eased, with the technology’s proven safety record.
CRISPR Delivery Method Offers Gentler Approach to Editing T Cells
Research findings published in Nature Biotechnology outlined the development of a new gene editing technique which could help produce cell-based therapies. Senior author E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, discussed the results. “The biggest advantage is that we can edit really fragile cells. We get super-high viability and really efficient editing in cells that would otherwise die when you try to edit them.”
Genome Web • Penn Medicine News Release
April 2023
Abramson Cancer Center Leader Outlines Immunotherapy Advances
Researchers and oncologists have long looked to the body’s own defenses as a possible tool to conquer cancer. “We need to look at cancer vaccines to prevent disease or prevent relapse — to intercept cancer,” said Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center. Vonderheide, chair of the program committee for the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting 2023, also provided a glimpse of some of the groundbreaking research to be presented at the event.
AACR Annual Meeting Highlights Showcased in Final Plenary Session
During the final session of the AACR Annual Meeting 2023, Program Committee Chair Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, reviewed significant highlights and important themes from the meeting. “We have made progress and we have a lot more to do,” he said.
How mRNA Vaccines Could Target Cancer and the Plague
Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery and pioneer researcher of mRNA and mRNA vaccines, explained the shots in the New York Post as "the middleman between information and action." The story also cites new mRNA vaccine research from Penn and Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, that revealed promising results of a potential mRNA influenza vaccine.
A Protein-Based Risk Assessment Model
A model developed through proteomics, the study of proteins, determined 32 different proteins that could be used as biomarkers to assess risk for conditions like heart attack and stroke among people with chronic kidney disease. Additionally, the proteomic model, spearheaded by Rajat Deo, MD, an associate professor of Medicine, was found to be more accurate than two current approaches for similar risk assessment.
Using Virus’ Lock-Pick Skills for Good
By borrowing protein fragments that viruses use to get into the body’s cells, scientists may be able to boost the efficiency and effectiveness of gene-editing techniques, with an eye toward super-charging cell therapies for cancer and other conditions. The team of researchers co-led by E. John Wherry, PhD, the Richard and Barbara Schiffrin President’s Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Systems Pharmacology & Translational Therapeutics, believe that this “theft” from bad-actor viruses could also speed up the creation of better lab models for scientific study.
Broadening Cancer Screening with Whole-Exome Sequencing
A retrospective analysis presented at the 2023 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting showed that whole-exome sequencing is an effective tool to identify people with hereditary cancer-predisposing conditions who would not meet current criteria for preventive screening. The more streamlined hereditary cancer risk assessments can be, the better, said Katherine Nathanson, MD, the Pearl Basser Professor for BRCA-Related Research and deputy director of the Abramson Cancer Center, who was not involved in the study.
High Honor
Five faculty from the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Graduate School of Education, and Perelman School of Medicine have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, joining nearly 270 honorees recognized for their contributions to academia, the arts, industry, policy, research, and science.
CAR-T Cancer Therapy Moves into Autoimmune Diseases
Coverage of recent CAR T therapy advances mentions the pioneering research led by Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, and includes comments from Aimee Payne, MD, PhD, a professor of Dermatology, Peter A. Merkel, MD, MPH, chief of Rheumatology, and David L. Porter, MD, director of Cell Therapy and Transplantation at the Abramson Cancer Center and the Jodi Fisher Horowitz professor in Leukemia Care Excellence.
David Fajgenbaum Discusses Medical Journey and Finding Hidden Cures to Diseases
David Fajgenbaum, MD, an assistant professor of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics, who found a treatment for his own deadly disease, is now on a mission to help more people with rare diseases. Fajgenbaum talks to Andy Slavitt, former administrator for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, about his own medical journey, and how existing FDA approved drugs could help find hidden cures to other diseases.
In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt
Dr. Carl June: The Pioneer of CAR T Cell Therapy
CAR T cell pioneer Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, discussed the history of CAR T research, how his career evolved over the years, the impact of CAR T’s success on Penn, and more. June noted, “The effect of that first CAR T trial has led us to become a center with broad experience and expertise.”
COVID-19 and Psoriasis: Is There a Link?
Joel Gelfand, MD, the James J. Leyden, M.D. Endowed Professor in Clinical Investigation in Dermatology, said "Infection with COVID-19 has been associated with flares of guttate and pustular psoriasis, and even psoriasis that affects 100% of the skin."
Cancer Advances are Underway in Radiation and Tumor Surgery
Exciting advances in cancer treatment were presented this week at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, where Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, served as the program committee chair. "Two of the most fundamental tools, cancer surgery and cancer radiation, are undergoing before our eyes fundamental changes in their technology," said Vonderheide. Constantinos Koumenis, PhD, the Richard H. Chamberlain Professor of Research Oncology in Radiation Oncology, and members have been testing "FLASH radiation," which uses ultra-high dose rate beams of energy to zap tumor cells. "In my 25 years in radiobiology research, this is the most excited we've been in this field," Koumenis said.
USA Today
Philadelphia Life Sciences Jobs Being Filled More by Women than Men, Study Finds
The number of jobs held by women in the Philadelphia region’s life sciences industry is growing at a faster rate than jobs held by men, according to a new report — thanks in part to the prominence of local female leaders in the industry. Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, the F.M. Kirby Emeritus Professor of Ophthalmology and Cell and Developmental Biology, Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, were noted for their advancements in gene therapy and mRNA technology.
E. John Wherry, PhD, Receives 2023 AACR-CRI Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, received the 2023 AACR-CRI Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology. The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) spoke with him about the achievement.
AACR Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Carl June Lauds ‘Great Opportunity’ in Cell and Gene Therapies
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells added the word cure to discussions of cancer treatment. But CAR T cells were never envisioned as therapy. They were more a proof-of-concept experiment that went better than expected. “CAR T cells are one of those rare things that work better in humans than in mice,” said Carl H. June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, and recipient of this year’s AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research.
Breakthroughs, Practice-Changing Data Expected at AACR 2023
The theme of this year’s American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting is “Advancing the Frontiers of Cancer Science and Medicine.” Program Committee Chair Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, explained, “This conference is about new ideas, new progress, and new findings. We have already made so much progress in cancer research, but it has only just begun.”
mRNA Vaccine for Cancer Shows Promise Against Melanoma
A new study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2023 showed that a personalized mRNA vaccine could help prevent recurrences of melanoma. “This represents a big shift in how we’re using cancer vaccines,” said Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center and program committee chair for the meeting. Alexander Huang, MD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology, also discussed the impact of the study.
USA Today • Wall Street Journal • BioPharmaDive • EndPoints News
25 Years After Kindey Transplant, Penn Patient Reunites with Her Surgeon
To recognize National Donate Life Month, Eileen Krynicki, of New Jersey, shared her story of how her life was saved through living organ donation. Her surgeon, Ali Naji, MD, PhD, the J. William White Professor of Surgical Research, discussed living donation and what some of the early signs of kidney failure can look like.
Posts Exaggerate Lab Findings About COVID-19’s Impact on Immune System
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, dispelled misinformation about SARS-CoV-2 infection causing long term immune damage similar to HIV.
Abramson Cancer Center Leader Headlines Plenary Sessions at AACR Annual Meeting 2023
As the Program Committee Chair for the AACR Annual Meeting 2023, Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, will chair the meeting’s opening and final plenary sessions. “The AACR represents a broad spectrum of cancer research, and we want people, particularly our young scientists, to leave ... with an appreciation of all the different voices in cancer research and an understanding of how important it is to embrace multidisciplinary science and support the collaborations that move us forward,” Vonderheide said.
AACR Meeting News • AACR Meeting News (2)
Novel Treatment Shows Promise Against Rare Cancer
CAR T cell pioneer Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, discussed a newly published study from researchers in Italy that showed encouraging results — for the first time — in treating solid tumors with CAR T cell therapy. “There are going to be more trials now based on these exciting results,” said June, who leads the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at the Abramson Cancer Center.
Study Finds Gaps in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Screening of Patients with Psoriasis
While cardiovascular disease (CVD) is linked to psoriasis, only 16 percent of dermatology visits by patients with psoriasis involve CVD risk screening, according to new Penn research published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. William B. Song, a medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine and first author, is quoted. Senior author Joel Gelfand, MD, the James J. Leyden, M.D. Endowed Professor in Clinical Investigation in Dermatology and director of the Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center, is also mentioned.
March 2023
Wuhan Market Samples Contained COVID-19 and Animal Mixtures, Report Says
In a much-anticipated study, experts described a swab that was positive for the coronavirus and contained loads of genetic material from raccoon dogs. Frederic Bushman, PhD, chair of Microbiology, commented on the findings.
The Next Stage of COVID Is Starting Now
The COVID-19 virus will be one of the very first serious pathogens that today’s infants — and all future infants — meet, an Atlantic piece points out. Depending on the coronavirus variants that kids encounter first, their responses and vulnerability to future bouts of illness may vary, said Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology.
A New Way to Boost Antitumor T Cells
Searching for ways to defeat tumors’ T cell suppression tricks, a Penn team showed that knocking out the genes for two T cell inflammation-regulating proteins greatly boosts the activity and spread of T cells in animal models. The research was led by Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Neil Sheppard, DPhil, an adjunct associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and David Mai, a PhD student in the Department of Bioengineering.
Read the paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences →
Colon Cancer Among Young Adults and Lynch Syndrome: What to Know
Lynch syndrome is the most common cause of hereditary colon cancer, accounting for between 2 percent and 4 percent of all colon cancer cases. And it is associated with colon cancer at a younger age. Bryson Katona, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Gastroenterology and director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Genetics Program and the Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk Evaluation Program at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, answered five questions about the condition and the latest research.
How mRNA Vaccines Could Soon Target Cancer, the Plague
Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery and pioneering researcher of mRNA and mRNA vaccines, described the vaccines as “the middleman between information and action.” The story also cites new mRNA vaccine research from Penn and Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, which revealed promising results of a potential mRNA influenza vaccine.
The 2023 Health Care Power 100
City & State’s 2023 Health Care Power 100 highlights the people who are framing, influencing, and trying to change the conversation around health care in Pennsylvania. The list includes UPHS CEO Kevin Mahoney, J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, PSOM dean and Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System, Regina S. Cunningham, PhD, RN, HUP CEO, Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, Carl H. June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health CEO John J. Herman, MBA.
Why Do Some Love Exercise? It Might Be Their Microbiome.
Some mice have microbes in their guts that motivate them to exercise more, a recent study led by Christoph Thaiss, PhD, an assistant professor of Microbiology, shows. Scientists are asking whether the same might be true for humans.
Independence Blue Cross Forms Network to Cover Gene-Based Therapies at Penn Medicine, CHOP
To boost access to gene therapies, Independence Blue Cross, Penn Medicine, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have formed the Advanced Network for Gene-Based Therapeutics to ensure ease of access to these transformative approaches to treating diseases, several of which were developed by Penn and CHOP scientists and physicians. “Our teams have specialized experience developing these types of therapies in laboratory settings, conducting clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of these new treatments, and in developing the processes and clinical care needed to scale up operations needed to treat larger numbers of patients once the therapies are approved,” said David L. Porter, MD, director of Cell Therapy and Transplantation at the Abramson Cancer Center and the Jodi Fisher Horowitz professor in Leukemia Care Excellence in the Perelman School of Medicine.
U.S. Focuses on Limiting Spread Amid Record Bird Flu Season, but Vaccines Could be a Possibility in the Future
Vaccines are one option officials are considering in response to the deadliest outbreak of bird flu that the U.S. has ever seen. Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, and colleagues have been working on a vaccine candidate that could be used in humans if the virus started circulating among people.
How Your Microbiome May Influence Your Motivation to Exercise
A study led by Christoph Thaiss, PhD, an assistant professor of Microbiology, identified a gut-brain pathway in mice that connects specific gut bacteria with an animal’s motivation for exercise. If the same pathway is confirmed in humans, modifying one's microbiome may help prompt a desire for exercise.
Penn Doctor on a Mission to Find Treatments for Rare Diseases
David Fajgenbaum, MD, an assistant professor of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics, who found a treatment for his own deadly disease, is now on a mission to help more people with rare diseases. Fajgenbaum describes how existing FDA approved drugs could hold hidden cures to other diseases.
Penn Medicine Works on Intercepting Cancer
The goal of interception is to catch cancer cells as they begin to develop into pre-cancers or very early cancers, and halt or reverse that process. “Interception is not prevention per se, and it’s not therapy. It’s truly taking the football out of the quarterback’s hands,” Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, explained. “If we can do this successfully, it will be a whole new space to impact the burden of cancer.”
Penn Medicine News Blog • Becker’s Hospital Review
Three Penn Medicine Studies Selected for STAT Madness Bracket
This year, three Penn Medicine studies have been selected for STAT Madness, a March Madness-style bracket competition for scientific breakthroughs. The three breakthroughs include a universal mRNA flu vaccine from Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, CAR T survival rates after ten years from Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, and the impact of abandoned house remediation on violence reduction from Eugenia C. South, MD, MSHP, an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and faculty director of the Urban Health Lab. The first round of voting opens today, March 1. Additional Penn studies are in the running, along with research from CHOP and Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center.
Bacterial face-off
A study led by the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Igor Brodsky and lab members Rina Matsuda and Daniel Sorobetea sheds light on a face-off in the intestines between the immune system and a bacterial pathogen whose family members cause gastrointestinal disease and the plague. The team’s insights may extend to other chronic infections, and could inform the development of immunotherapies capable of fully extinguishing such diseases.
The Next Stage of COVID-19 Is Starting Now
The COVID-19 virus will be one of the very first serious pathogens that today’s infants — and all future infants — meet. Depending on the coronavirus variants that kids encounter first, their responses and vulnerability to future bouts of illness may vary, said Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology.
Two-Protein Knockout Helps T Cell Therapies Hit Harder
Knocking out the genes for two inflammatory regulator proteins offers a potential strategy to improve T cell therapy in solid tumors, according to a study published by University of Pennsylvania researchers. The work was led by Carl H. June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, Neil Sheppard, DPhil, an adjunct associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and David Mai, a Bioengineering graduate student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Targeting tumors
A preclinical study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine finds that a new approach that targets two inflammatory regulators leads to greater T cell expansion, resulting in increased anti-tumor immune activity and durability. “We want to unlock CAR T cell therapy for patients with solid tumors, which include the most commonly diagnosed cancer types,” says Carl June.
Why Canada Avoided a Severe Winter COVID-19 Wave
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, discussed COVID-19 vaccine-induced immunity and hybrid immunity. “Vaccine-induced immunity is what got us to the point of even asking the question of whether hybrid immunity is what’s getting us out of the pandemic,” said Wherry. “It doesn’t look like it’s really helping with transmission, but it almost certainly is adding to the overall population immunity in a way that’s making [new subvariants] a lot less concerning.”
New Strategy from June Lab May Improve T-Cell Therapy in Solid Tumors
Personalized cellular therapies have revolutionized blood cancer treatment but remain ineffective against solid tumors—largely due to the loss of inflammatory effector functions. The lab of CAR T cell pioneer Carl H. June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, explores strategies to improve T cell therapies for solid tumors. Their latest study shows that targeting two inflammatory regulators delivered a “one-two punch” that led to at least 10 times greater T cell expansion in preclinical models.
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Carl H. June, MD, to Receive AACR Lifetime Achievement Award
Carl H. June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, will receive this year’s AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research. The award — which will be presented during the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, scheduled for April 14-19 in Orlando — recognizes individuals who made significant fundamental contributions to cancer research, either through a single scientific discovery or a collective body of work.
February 2023
‘Tripledemic’
Flu season came early this year, RSV reared its ugly head, and now there’s a new SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating. Immunologist E. John Wherry and influenza expert Scott Hensley of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke with Penn Today about what this confluence means for our immune systems, vaccinations, and viral competition.
A Big, Bold Philly Gene Therapy Vision
In a piece about the genesis of Spark Therapeutics, Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, the F.M. Kirby Professor of Ophthalmology, is noted for her role in the first gene-therapy product for a genetic disease — Luxturna — to win approval from the FDA. Spark’s co-founder and former CEO Jeff Marrazzo also cites CAR T cell therapy pioneer Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, as inspiration for establishing a pipeline of gene therapy leaders in Philadelphia by training the next generation of post-doctoral researchers.
Gathering the Tools to Fight Avian Flu
A highly contagious avian flu is infecting birds all over the globe. In the U.S., farmers have lost, or had to kill, over 58 million birds to try and prevent the spread of the virus. The H5N1 strain hasn’t caused any serious threat to humans, but outbreaks in some mammals raised concerns about the potential to spread further. Influenza researcher Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, shared his expert opinion.
Using Nanoparticle Carriers for RNA Therapies
RNA therapeutics face the challenge of eluding the immune system as they try to reach specific cell types, a challenge similar to looking for a needle in a haystack while being pursued by an enemy army. But a team led by Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, and Michael J. Mitchell, PhD, the J. Peter and Geri Skirkanich Assistant Professor of Innovation in Penn Engineering, demonstrated a possible solution by placing therapeutic RNAs inside nanoparticles that home in on target cells, in this case to reverse fibrosis in the livers of animal models.
Read the paper in Nature Communications →
Women in Oncology Profile
This profile of pharmaceutical executive Kristen Hege, MD, includes commentary from longtime collaborator Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy.
Pancreatic Cancer Patients to Receive Gene Therapy Combination in Platform Trial
The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Cancer Research Institute’s REVOLUTION trial will test a new gene therapy and immunotherapy combination for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. “Pancreatic cancer is one of the most complex and difficult to treat cancers,” said Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center and lead investigator of the study, which is testing various immunotherapy combinations as first-line treatments for metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Accelerating Production of CAR T Cells
The production of CAR T cell therapies is facing a crucial bottleneck. Work led by Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and researcher in the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, to shorten the manufacturing time for CAR T cell therapies is shared as an example of how scientists are addressing this challenge.
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Chasing Every Cure Through Drug Research
The nonprofit Every Cure is based on the concept that every drug on the market has multiple effects on the body, not just the one or two that first earned its approval. Every Cure founder David Fajgenbaum, MD, an assistant professor of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics, suffered from a rare disorder called Castleman disease. After studying his own charts and testing his blood, a drug used to treat another illness helped him. He has been in remission for more than nine years.
New COVID-19 Variants Have ‘Major Impact’ on Prevention for Cancer Cell Therapy Recipients
The FDA recently withdrew its emergency use authorization for Evusheld, a combination monoclonal antibody therapy used to prevent COVID-19 among high-risk individuals. The withdrawal of the emergency use authorization for Evusheld was medically appropriate, but the lack of availability is a concern for CAR T cell therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplant providers, according to David L. Porter, MD, director of Cell Therapy and Transplantation and the Jodi Fisher Horowitz professor in Leukemia Care Excellence.
Does Getting COVID-19 Really Make Your Immune System Worse?
A new idea about how COVID-19 can affect immunity has emerged: that even mild infections routinely cause consequential damage to our bodies’ defenses. However, robust longitudinal data starting prior to the pandemic would show “whether we’ve seen large-scale changes in immune fitness,” said E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, and we just don’t have it. In its absence, “the evidence of a long-term impact on the immune system in fully recovered COVID-19 patients, whether mild or severe, is really pretty thin.”
January 2023
Motivation to Exercise Might Be Influenced by Gut Bacteria
Feeling unmotivated to exercise? It might not be your fault, but in fact gut microbes in your body, according to a recent study led by Christoph Thaiss, PhD, an assistant professor of Microbiology.
The Race to Supercharge Cancer-Fighting T Cells
Advances in genome editing through processes such as CRISPR, and the ability to rewire cells through synthetic biology, have led to increasingly elaborate approaches for modifying and supercharging T cells for therapy. Avery Posey, PhD, an assistant professor of Pharmacology, and Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, explain how new techniques are providing tools to counter some of the limitations of current CAR T cell therapies.
Can a Nationwide Liver Paired Donation Program Work?
The United Network for Organ Sharing launched a pilot program that would test a nationwide liver paired donation program. Peter Abt, MD, a professor of Surgery and surgical director of Liver Transplant, weighs in on whether he thinks the program is feasible or not.
CAR T Cells May Eliminate Tumor Cells Missed by Surgery
Despite CAR T cell therapy’s astonishing efficacy at attacking blood cancers, harnessing them for solid tumors has posed challenges. But the approach may be helpful as an add-on to tumor surgery, according to a new study led by CAR T cell pioneer Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. June and his colleagues showed that, in mouse models of hard-to-treat pancreatic and breast cancers, after cutting out most — but not all — of the tumor, then applying a gel laden with CAR T cells to the surgical wound, residual tumor cells were eliminated in virtually all cases. Since it is common for some cancerous cells to be missed in surgeries, resulting in tumor relapse, the new approach has the potential to improve patient outcomes, including for some of the worst cancer types.
Read the paper in Science Advances →
New mRNA Universal Flu Vaccine Is Very Promising
An experimental mRNA vaccine targets all known influenza virus subtypes, and dramatically reduced signs of illness and protected from death, even for flu strains different from those used in making the vaccine, according to research from Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology. The vaccine uses the same mRNA technology employed in the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, pioneered at Penn by Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research and Director of Vaccine Research.
CAR T cleanup
A preclinical study by CAR T cell therapy pioneer Carl Juneand colleagues at the Perelman School of Medicine finds that a special CAR T gel can eliminate residual tumor cells when applied to surgical wounds from partial tumor removal. “We also think that this approach could be broadened to deliver other cellular therapies and anticancer agents in addition to CAR T cells,” says June, “potentially boosting the antitumor effectiveness even further.”
Vaccine Trial Settles Debate Over Best Design for mRNA in COVID-19 Vaccines
The biotech company CureVac said it will now focus its efforts on the development of modified mRNA vaccines rather than unmodified mRNA vaccines. Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery and a researcher whose foundational work led to the modified mRNA vaccine platform, explained the role T cells and the immune system have in infectious-disease prevention.
Entering Fourth Year with COVID-19, Some Experts Remain Optimistic
January 20 marks the third anniversary of the day the United States reported its first COVID-19 diagnosis. Four years in, many experts point to reasons to be optimistic. Frederic Bushman, PhD, chair of Microbiology, says that although it’s “extremely unlikely” COVID-19 will go away anytime soon, as long as we continue to avoid steep climbs in hospitalizations or deaths, the impact of COVID-19 could “get a little less with each passing year.”
Lung disease bias
Lung cell research led by the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Montserrat Anguera and Andrew Vaughan found differences in gene expression that may explain why older males are at a higher risk than females for more severe outcomes from COVID-19 and similar diseases.
In Preclinical Study, KRAS-Targeted Drug Shows Potential Against Pancreatic Cancer
Results from a new study in mice have identified a promising experimental drug that directly targets pancreatic tumors with a particular KRAS mutation. Ben Stanger, MD, PhD, the Hanna Wise Professor in Cancer Research, explains the findings published by Abramson Cancer Center researchers in the journal Cancer Discovery.
New Investments Will Support Implementation of Genomic Information in Practice
Penn Medicine recently announced that it received a $9.7 million grant that will be used to fund continuing education and training for genetic counselors. Kathy Valverde, PhD, LCGC, director of Penn’s Masters Program in Genetic Counseling, and Daniel J. Rader, MD, chair of Genetics and Chief of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics at Penn, discussed the new initiative.
Why COVID-19 Immunity Is Tied to the First Variant You Encountered
Research shows that the body seems to fixate on the first version of the virus that it encountered, either through injection or infection — a preoccupation with the past that researchers call “original antigenic sin,” and that may leave us with defenses that are poorly tailored to circulating variants. However, this phenomenon is also the reason repeat infections, on average, get milder over time. Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, explained what this research means for future COVID-19 vaccine boosters.
How Animals Spread COVID-19
From lions and tigers to big hairy armadillos, a growing number of animals have been infected with the coronavirus. Frederic Bushman, PhD, chair of Microbiology, explained what we know about how the virus infects animals and humans alike.
Karikó and Weissman Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
Penn’s Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, are being officially inducted to the National Inventors Hall of Fame for their foundational mRNA research, which led to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. They join a wide range of others being inducted this year, including the co-inventor of CAPTCHA and the inventor of the Bobcat construction vehicle.
‘We Don’t Know’ What the Limits Are for RNA Therapies
While mRNA therapeutics have focused on infectious disease prevention, there are a myriad of potential uses for mRNA technology, said Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, whose foundational research over 15 years ago made it possible to create mRNA vaccines. mRNA could be used in the future to treat sickle-cell anemia, cancer, and even food allergies, said Weissman.
What’s Next for mRNA Vaccines
While mRNA vaccine technology gave us a novel vaccine to prevent COVID-19, the future of mRNA technology will likely expand far beyond coronaviruses and even infectious diseases. Katalin Karikό, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery, and whose foundational work with Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research and Director of Vaccine Research, led to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, discussed why mRNA vaccines are ideal for prevention and how an mRNA vaccine could be created to prevent cancer.
Moderna’s Personalized mRNA Cancer Vaccine Shows Promising Results in Early Trial
Moderna recently shared data from a Phase 2b clinical trial on a cancer vaccine to prevent recurrent melanoma. Alexander Huang, MD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology, commented on the results and explained the challenges and promise of personalized cancer vaccines.
The guts to exercise
Gut-dwelling bacteria activate nerves in mice that promote the desire to exercise, according to a study by Christoph Thaiss of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues. “If we can confirm the presence of a similar pathway in humans, it could offer an effective way to boost people’s levels of exercise to improve public health generally,” he says.
Biologic Factors Linked to Recurrence of BRCA1/BRCA 2-Mutated Breast, Ovarian Cancers
A study conducted at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center has revealed possible drivers of recurrence in breast and ovarian tumors with BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations. Senior study author Katherine Nathanson, MD, the Pearl Basser Professor for BRCA-Related Research and deputy director of the Abramson Cancer Center, discussed the study results and what they might reveal about the mechanisms of cancer recurrence.
2022
Anti-KRAS Drug Boosts T Cell Production, Shrinks Pancreatic Cancer Tumors
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that a small molecule KRAS-targeted therapy stopped cancer growth or shrank tumors in animal models of pancreatic cancer. “Patients with pancreatic cancer have been waiting so long for good news and the field now has some good news to share,” said Ben Stanger, MD, PhD, the Hanna Wise Professor in Cancer Research. “I’m optimistic we will see this drug and several others in clinical trials in patients in 2023.”
A Universal Flu Vaccine Is Possible
For years, scientists have tried, and failed, to make a one-and-done vaccine that would provide at least partial protection against all types of the flu. Now, according to research from Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, an experimental mRNA vaccine targets all known influenza virus subtypes, and dramatically reduced signs of illness and protected from death, even for flu strains different from those used in making the vaccine. The vaccine uses the same messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology employed in the Pfizer and Moderna SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, pioneered at Penn by Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research and Director of Vaccine Research.
Gene Therapy Gel Offers New Hope Against Rare Blistering Disease
An experimental gene therapy that’s applied as a skin gel appears to heal wounds caused by a rare and severe genetic skin disease called dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). Aimee Payne, MD, PhD, a professor of Dermatology, wrote an editorial accompanying the original study and explained that many treatments have been attempted, but this method holds great promise.
How Gut Bacteria Helps You Exercise by Sending Dopamine Hits to the Brain
A Penn Medicine study, led by Christoph Thaiss, PhD, an assistant professor of Microbiology, identified a gut-brain pathway in mice that connects specific gut bacteria with an animal’s motivation for exercise. If the same pathway is confirmed in humans, it could mean modifying one’s microbiome may help prompt a desire for exercise.
Countering cancer
Two groups of researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center have developed separate, yet striking advances in cancer treatment. Carl June led a team to demonstrate successful retreatment of relapsed cancer with CAR T cell therapy, while Dan Vogl and colleagues found that a first-of-its-kind drug showed potential in combating multiple myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer.
CRISPR Gene-Editing Improves Cancer Immunotherapy
A new study presented on Monday at the 2022 American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting found that CRISPR gene-editing may boost cancer immunotherapy. Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, commented on the “game-changing” results.
‘Spirit of innovation’
Three Penn faculty members are part of the 2022 class of fellows of the National Academy of Inventors. Dean Vijay Kumar (left) of the School of Engineering and Applied Science was honored for his innovations in robotics, while Katalin Karikó (center) and Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine were recognized for their pioneering work in mRNA-based vaccines.
Pancreatic treatment
A small molecule inhibitor that attacks a cancer-causing gene mutation has successfully halted pancreatic cancer growth in preclinical models, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center. “The results of this study are in stark contrast to anything we’ve seen before in pancreatic cancer,” says Ben Stanger.
Grad stipend increase
The University will raise the minimum Ph.D. stipend to $38,000, beginning in the coming 2023-24 academic year, the largest one-time increase in Penn’s history. “This one-time increase recognizes the unique pressures they currently face, especially in the wake of delays to research and hiring that many experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also help to ensure that Penn remains competitive in recruiting exceptional scholars in our Graduate Groups,” said Interim Provost Beth A. Winkelstein.
December 2022
Lung recovery
Infections like flu, COVID, and RSV can take a hefty toll on the lungs. In severe cases, some patients’ lungs never fully recover. New research led by the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Andrew Vaughan and doctoral candidate Aaron Weiner demonstrates how a protein called p63 can lead to improper lung tissue regeneration. Repressing it may be a path toward healthier lung function after lung infection or injury, they say.
The Race to Make a Vaccine for Breast Cancer
A Time article and video detailed efforts in the new Basser Cancer Interception Institute to study a vaccine designed to reduce cancer risk among individuals who carry BRCA1/2 mutations by killing cancer cells early. Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, and Susan Domchek, MD, executive director of the Basser Center for BRCA, were both interviewed along with a Penn patient who is participating in the trial.
Experimental Flu Shot Aims to Target 20 Influenza Viruses in a Single Vaccine
An experimental mRNA flu vaccine that targets 20 different strains of influenza viruses may help prevent future pandemics, says new research led by Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology. The study of the vaccine, published last week in Science, dramatically reduced signs of illness and protected from death, even for flu strains different from those used in making the vaccine. The vaccine uses the same messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology employed in the Pfizer and Moderna SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, pioneered at Penn by Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research and Director of Vaccine Research at Penn Medicine.
Penn Researcher Receives Young Innovator Award
César de la Fuente, PhD, a Presidential Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Microbiology, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Bioengineering, was honored with the Molecules 2022 Young Investigator Award on Nov. 3, 2022. De la Fuente was selected for his pioneering research work across antibiotic discovery, synthetic biology, and computational biology.
See additional awards and accolades for faculty, staff and students
New Details on How T Cells Change During Infections
A study in Nature Immunology significantly advanced the understanding of T cell biology and how it changes during infection. A team led by E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, and senior research investigator Josephine Giles, PhD, analyzed gene activity and related epigenetic patterns in individual T cells during acute viral infections and those that were chronic. The researchers’ analysis revealed new subsets of T cells, molecules that enforce these distinct T cell identities, and cell processes that different T cell subsets combine in different ways. Although the study was chiefly a feat of basic immunology, its findings point to potential new targets for future T cell-based or anti-T cell therapies.
Read the paper in Nature Immunology
City & State PA’s 2022 Philly Power 100
City & State PA released its Philly Power 100 list for 2022, which includes UPHS CEO Kevin Mahoney, Penn President Liz Magill, Regina S. Cunningham, PhD, RN, CEO of HUP and Penn Nursing assistant dean for Clinical Practice, and Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy.
What’s Next for mRNA Vaccines? Pfizer Looks for Next Step After COVID-19
Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research, was on Bloomberg’s “The Big Take” podcast to discuss the mRNA vaccine platform. He also stressed the importance of vaccine manufacturing worldwide.
Flu-turistic: Scientists Create Super-influenza Vaccine that Can Fight 20 Strains
An experimental mRNA flu vaccine that targets 20 different strains of influenza viruses may help prevent future pandemics, says new research led by Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology. The study of the vaccine, published last week in Science, dramatically reduced signs of illness and protected from death, even for flu strains different from those used in making the vaccine. The vaccine uses the same messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology employed in the Pfizer and Moderna SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, pioneered at Penn by Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research and Director of Vaccine Research at Penn Medicine.
Penn Medicine News Release • Daily Mail • Independent UK • Telegraph • STAT News • Reuters • BBC • New Scientist
High Rates of Clinically Actionable Variants Found in a Large Diverse Cohort of Patients with Colorectal Cancer Undergoing Genetic Testing
A retrospective analysis of patients with reported colorectal cancer who underwent multigene panel testing found that clinically actionable variants occurred at high frequencies. “Discovering a pathogenic germline variant in a family is very powerful as it allows family members to take proactive steps in their health, including to screen for cancer more aggressively or take other proactive measures to decrease cancer risk in the future,” said study author Bryson Katona, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Gastroenterology.
Antibody Levels in Evobrutinib-Treated Multiple Sclerosis Increased Following COVID-19 Vaccination
Amit Bar-Or, MD, FRCPC, director of the Center for Neuroinflammation and Experimental Therapeutics and chief of the Division of MS and Related Disorders, spoke with Neurology Live about new data from a trial which showed that patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis who were treated with evobrutinib had increased antibody levels after being given two doses of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
Fighting the flu
Scott Hensley of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues have collaborated with the lab of vaccine pioneer Drew Weissman to develop an experimental mRNA vaccine that protects against all 20 known subtypes of influenza. The vaccine could serve as a preventative measure against future flu strains and pandemics. (Video)
Amyloid-PET Scans Won’t Reduce Alzheimer’s Inequities
Some experts say that better access to so-called amyloid-PET scans could compensate for some of the racial inequities in Alzheimer’s disease. Other experts, including Abass Alavi, MD, a professor of Radiology, cautions that increased access to these scans will result in more misdiagnoses and more people being subjected to a new form of Alzheimer’s treatment that is believed to be more harmful than beneficial.
This Personalized Crispr Therapy Is Designed to Attack Tumors
In a new step for Crispr, scientists have used the gene-editing tool to make personalized modifications to cancer patients’ immune cells to supercharge them against their tumors. In a small study published in the journal Nature, a research team showed that the approach was feasible and safe, but was successful only in a handful of patients. Bruce Levine, PhD, the Barbara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy, commented on the study results.
Scientists Use mRNA Technology to Create a Potent Flu Shot that Could Last for Years
A new study, co-led by Norbert Pardi, PhD, an assistant professor of Microbiology, pays close attention to one sugar-covered protein called hemagglutinin that dots the surface of the influenza virus, an mRNA-based influenza vaccine that tend to remain the same across different strains of influenza. They hope to build a vaccine that is more consistently protective from year to year.
Penn Medicine Physicians Among “Healthcare Power Players”
Katherine Nathanson, MD, the Pearl Basser Professor for BRCA-Related Research and deputy director of the Abramson Cancer Center, and Christian Bermudez, MD, director of Thoracic Transplantation and a professor of Surgery, were named among Pennsylvania Healthcare Power Players by Metro Philadelphia.
Metro Philadelphia • Metro Philadelphia (2)
Beyond cancer
Thanks to the pioneering work of Penn Medicine’s Carl June, personalized immunotherapies using engineered immune cells—known as CAR T cells—have become a pillar of cancer treatment. Now, with newly promising results among patients with lupus in Germany, June and doctoral student Daniel Baker (pictured) of the Perelman School of Medicine discuss the broader applications for CAR T cell therapy.
Flu and Colds Are Back with a Vengeance — Why Now?
Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, explained why people are particularly vulnerable to seasonal colds and flus this year. Because we spent the past few years isolating, the population “is more immunologically naive than what we would expect in most years.” Normally, children get infected by their second birthday. Now, “you’re going to end up having kids that are three, four years of age right now who have never seen RSV.”
Three Vaccine Doses the Baseline for Being ‘Fully Vaccinated’
Rishi Goel, a PSOM student and research fellow at the lab of E. John Wherry, PhD, spoke about what it means to be “fully vaccinated” against COVID-19. “Three vaccines is kind of the baseline thing,” explained Goel. “I am done with my primary series — I am topped up on the initial COVID-19 series.”
‘Man’s best friend’
Because of their similarities to humans, dogs may hold the key to finding new cancer therapies, reports “60 Minutes” on CBS News. Nicola Mason (pictured) of the School of Veterinary Medicine is leading immunotherapy research and overseeing comparative oncology trials to increase the life expectancy of human and canine cancer patients. (Video)
November 2022
Recurring cancers
Researchers at Penn Medicine’s Basser Center for BRCA have uncovered several factors that may drive the recurrence of breast and ovarian cancers among women carrying high-risk genetic mutations. “These results suggest key biological features of therapy-resistant recurrences, which point to new possibilities for treating BRCA1/2-mutation cancers,” says senior author Katherine Nathanson of the Perelman School of Medicine.
Immunotherapy in dogs
With support from the National Institutes of Health, Nicola Mason of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Qi Long of the Perelman School of Medicine are tracking the outcomes of immunotherapy clinical trials in pet dogs with cancer, with the goal of accelerating the use of next-generation and combination immunotherapies through comparative oncology.
High honor
Five from Penn have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine for their contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. They are (left to right, top to bottom) Regina Cunningham, Elizabeth Howell, Steven Joffe, Katalin Karikó, and Drew Weissman, who join 78 other Penn members who are part of the prestigious group.
Oct 2022
The Race to Make a Vaccine for Breast Cancer
A Time article and video detail efforts underway in the new Basser Cancer Interception Institute to study a vaccine to reduce cancer risk among individuals who carry BRCA1/2 mutations. Robert Vonderheide, MD, PhD, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, and Susan Domchek, MD, executive director of the Basser Center for BRCA, are interviewed along with a Penn patient who is participating in the trial investigating the safety of a vaccine designed to recognize and kill cancer cells “before anyone even knew they were there.”
Penn Medicine CAR T therapy expert Carl June receives 2022 Keio Medical Science Prize
The award from Japan’s oldest private university honors outstanding contributions to medicine and life sciences. Dr. Carl June has been named a 2022 Keio Medical Science Prize Laureate. He is recognized for his pioneering role in the development of CAR T cell therapy for cancer, which uses modified versions of patients’ own immune cells to attack their cancer.
COVID-19 Omicron Boosters Are Here, but Drew Weissman Wants a Vaccine for All Coronaviruses
The Philadelphia Inquirer highlighted the ongoing work at Penn on mRNA vaccines, specifically the focus on creating a coronavirus vaccine that would protect against any and all coronaviruses. The story featured Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research, Mohamad-Gabriel Alameh, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in Infectious Diseases, Garima Dwivedi, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in Infectious Diseases, and Benjamin Davis, PhD, a research specialist in Weissman’s lab. “Coronaviruses have caused three epidemics in the past 20 years,” Weissman said. “We have to assume there will be more.”
Genetic time-savers
A study by Katherine Nathanson of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues found that clinicians saved significant time when they were able to order genetic testing through electronic health record systems. Co-author Marylyn Ritchie, also of the med school, says, “By making it easier to order the test and understand the results, we are improving care for our patients and reducing the burden on providers.”
A Vaccine in Each Arm Could Be a Painful Mistake
As Americans head to pharmacies for the newest version of the COVID-19 vaccine, they may get their yearly flu shot at the same time. Immunologists, vaccinologists, and pharmacists commented on the choice between getting a booster and flu shot both in one arm or different arms. Rishi Goel, a PSOM student and research fellow at the lab of E. John Wherry, PhD, explained why placement is unlikely to affect how much protection the vaccines provide.
Pandemic preparation
Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine paved the way for the first COVID-19 vaccines and their updated omicron boosters with his research on messenger RNA. Now Weissman’s lab, including postdoc Garima Dwivedi (pictured), is developing and testing an array of new vaccines to guard against future epidemics, as reported in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Have Researchers Hit a Wall in the Hunt for Severe COVID-19 Drugs?
Since February 2021, no new therapies for the sickest COVID-19 patients have emerged as decisively effective. Current treatments already substantially dampen the body’s inflammatory firestorm, giving patients’ lungs time to heal. It’s not clear that suppressing the immune system further will help, or that it would be possible to build a large enough trial to prove it. Nuala Meyer, MD, an associate professor of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, was quoted discussing the issue.
Cell-killing Cancer Therapy Shows Promise for a Devastating Autoimmune Disorder
Aimee Payne, MD, PhD, a professor of Dermatology, commented on research that five individuals, when treated with their own genetically-modified immune cells, had their severe lupus symptoms vanish. Payne, who studies CAR-T therapy and who was not involved in this study, said the treatment “did not flare disease. That’s amazing.”
High honor
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Carl June has been named the 2022 Keio Medical Science Prize Laureate in recognition of his pioneering role in the development of CAR T cell therapy for cancer. “Dr. June exemplifies the spirit of curiosity and fortitude that makes Penn home to so many ‘firsts’ in science and medicine,” says President Liz Magill. “His work provides hope to cancer patients and their families across the world.”
How a ‘Living Drug’ Could Treat Autoimmune Disease
In lupus, a type of autoimmune disease, the body’s natural defense system can’t tell the difference between its own cells and foreign ones, so it mistakenly attacks its own tissues and organs. Now, German researchers have reported that they have harnessed lupus patients’ own cells, through CAR T cell therapy, to treat this disease. “This impressive study adds to the growing body of evidence that CAR-T therapy may be a therapeutic option for diseases beyond cancer, including autoimmune disorders such as lupus,” said Jonathan Epstein, MD, chief scientific officer and the William Wikoff Smith Professor of Medicine.
Monkeypox Vaccine May Have an Impact as Cases Decline in Philadelphia and Nationwide
Stuart Isaacs, MD, an associate professor of Infectious Diseases, said that not only have monkeypox vaccinations likely decreased new cases of monkeypox, but that people’s more careful behavior is also helping. “The optimistic viewpoint in me is we still could potentially get control of this outbreak,” said Isaacs.
Back to School
As children start returning to school, COVID-19 and monkeypox are still concerns. The Perelman School of Medicine’s E. John Wherry and Jennifer Brady offer suggestions to make the transition back to school easier while also allowing families to prioritize their health and well-being.
Penn Medical Pioneers Team Up to Launch New Cell Therapy Biotech
University of Pennsylvania mRNA and cell therapy experts have launched a new biotech venture, Capstan Therapeutics, to develop first-in-class medicines through in vivo cell engineering. Penn founders of the venture, supported with $165 million in seed and Series A financing, include Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies; Bruce Levine, PhD, the Barbara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy; Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research; and Jonathan Epstein, MD, chief scientific officer and the William Wikoff Smith Professor of Medicine.
STAT News • Philadelphia Business Journal
Trapping COVID
A recently launched clinical trial at Penn Medicine will evaluate the safety and efficacy of a chewing gum designed to trap SARS-CoV-2 virus in the saliva, potentially blocking transmission of COVID-19 from one person to another. The gum was developed by Henry Daniell of the School of Dental Medicine and colleagues. If found effective, a similar approach could be used to reduce transmission of other respiratory or oral diseases.
The New COVID-19 Vaccines
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, spoke about what people need to know about the new COVID-19 booster shots, and when people should get them. “We’re very lucky to be in this position. This new booster now adds in an additional spike protein from the BA.4 and BA.5 variant — the variant that’s circulating now,” said Wherry. “That’s going to give us an additional ability to make antibodies that are more tailored to the strains that are currently circulating.”
How Do You Get Monkeypox? Sex Guidelines Are Under Debate.
Stuart Isaacs, MD, an associate professor of Infectious Diseases, explained that while monkeypox can be spread during sex, there are examples of transmission simply from contact. He also called for more emphasis on the frequency of sex and transmission rather than simply associating sex and monkeypox.
Scientists Have Made a Human Microbiome from Scratch
Gary Wu, MD, associate chief of research for Gastroenterology and the Ferdinand G. Weisbrod Professor in Gastroenterology, commented on new research in the journal Cell which chronicled the first microbiome made synthetically. “It’s something that has been badly needed for some period of time,” said Wu.
Sept 2022
Updated Booster Shots Expected Within Days as CDC Signs Off
Having updated COVID-19 vaccines by next week, rather than in mid-November, could save between roughly 7,500 and 18,000 lives by the spring, experts estimate. “We’re still seeing just under 500 deaths per day, which is putting us at about four times the level of yearly deaths we’ll tolerate for influenza,” said E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology. “That’s still an unacceptable level of death. I’m hopeful we’ll make a dent in that because of updated boosters.”
The future of mRNA
Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó of the Perelman School of Medicine became household names thanks to their revolutionary work developing mRNA COVID vaccines. Now meet their team at the Weissman Lab, a melting pot of genders, ages, and ethnicities that continues to lead the world in mRNA research and vaccine innovation.
Tweaked COVID-19 Boosters Are Close, But How Much Will They Help?
COVID-19 vaccines tweaked to better match today’s omicron threat are expected to roll out in a few weeks but still up in the air is how much benefit the boosters will offer, who should get one — and how soon. “We need to give a clear, forward-looking set of expectations,” said E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology.
Former Penn Virologist Neal Nathanson, MD, Leaves a Legacy
Neal Nathanson, MD, who started at Penn as the chair of Microbiology in 1979, was an accomplished scientist who held numerous leadership positions in his field. He was also a staunch advocate for women in science. Nathanson held numerous leadership positions at Penn, including vice provost for Research. His daughter Katherine L. Nathanson, MD, the Pearl Basser Professor for BRCA-Related Research at the Abramson Cancer Center, said he treated everybody the same way including recruiting and mentoring women at a time when it was rare. She credits her father with inspiring her own interest in research.
FDA Authorizes Updated COVID-19 Booster Shots Targeting Omicron Subvariants
The FDA cleared two COVID-19 booster options aimed at subvariants that are now dominant, hoping to curtail a fall or winter surge. E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, said that even if the half of the vaccine that targets BA.5 doesn’t work well, recipients should still reap some benefit from the portion of the original vaccine.
Beating the odds
Delaware elementary school teacher Bri Iacona is returning to her classroom after a yearlong battle with severe COVID-19, reports 6ABC News. Iacona, who spent 97 days on life support before receiving heart surgery and a double lung transplant, attributes her survival to Christian Bermudez, Joshua Diamond, and the rest of her medical team at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Monkeypox: What is known and unknown
Now an official public health emergency, the global monkeypox outbreak shows no sign of slowing down. Stuart Isaacs of the Perelman School of Medicine offers an updated look at what’s known about this disease, how it differs from previous outbreaks, what therapies exist to prevent and treat it, and what to watch for this fall.
Promising therapy
CAR T cell therapy, first developed more than a decade ago, modifies a patient’s immune system to destroy cancerous cells. In an interview with Science Friday, Carl June of the Perelman School of Medicine discusses the immunotherapy’s continued use in battling new blood cancers, as well as its future potential for treating solid state cancers and autoimmune diseases. (Audio)
Variant-Targeted COVID-19 Boosters Test the Promise of mRNA Technology
Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research and a pioneering mRNA scientist, said that adapting the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine to the current variants is straightforward due to the mRNA vaccine platform. “This is what mRNA is designed to do, to rapidly adapt to new viruses, new strains, new variants,” said Weissman.
New Book Describes COVID-19 Vaccine and Moderna
The Philadelphia Inquirer interviewed author and writer Pete Loftus whose book covers the development of the COVID-19 vaccine and the company Moderna. Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, were mentioned, as the pair’s research over decades led to the mRNA vaccine platform that was used by Moderna.
Tumor treatment
Celeste Simon at the Perelman School of Medicine has identified a potential new strategy for treating liver cancer. A metabolic modification leaves liver tumors vulnerable to disruptions in the supply of a key molecule. Simon hopes to take advantage of this weak spot to starve the tumors using existing drugs.
What is Vasculitis, the Disorder Ashton Kutcher Battled?
Actor Ashton Kutcher recently announced he suffered an episode of a rare autoimmune disorder called vasculitis. Peter Merkel, MD, chief of Rheumatology and director of the Penn Vasculitis Center, took part in a Q&A to explain what the disease is and why it can be difficult to diagnose.
Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Awards $4.5 Million to Early Career Researchers
The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy presented $4.5 million in fellowship and scholarship awards to nine graduate and postdoctoral researchers, including Derek Oldridge, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Darwin Ye, a PhD candidate in Cancer Biology training in the laboratory of Andy Minn, MD, PhD.
Philly Health Department Launches New Lab to Sequence, Track COVID-19 Variants
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health has opened a new lab to study the genetic makeup of the virus that causes COVID-19, which will help health officials learn more about variants that are circulating in the region. Throughout the pandemic, the lab of Frederic D. Bushman, PhD, chair of Microbiology, has been conducting genome sequencing to track COVID-19 variants across the Delaware Valley. He said the more people who can do this work, the better, as there are plenty of virus samples to be sequenced, and this research can lead to important discoveries.
Are Vomiting or Diarrhea Symptoms of Monkeypox?
Monkeypox is spreading from person-to-person transmission differently than it has in the past, according to Stuart Isaacs, MD, an associate professor of Infectious Diseases. He also commented on how some recent research does not find vomiting or diarrhea to be a symptom of the virus.
Penn Rheumatology Chief Discusses Vasculitis After Ashton Kutcher Reveals Diagnosis
Peter Merkel, MD, chief of Rheumatology and director of the Penn Vasculitis Center, joined Channel Q’s morning show to discuss what vasculitis is and what could have caused the types of symptoms that actor Ashton Kutcher experienced.
New Clues to Target B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Effectively with CAR-T Cell Therapy
A study published in Cancer Discovery led by Marco Ruella, MD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, found that inhibiting an enzyme called BCL-2 could help to improve treatment with CAR T cell therapy for patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Beyond Paxlovid for COVID-19: The Hunt for Better COVID-19 Medications
With regards to treating COVID-19, the first-generation drugs were better than nothing, but it took more research to find better options. According to Sara Cherry, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, “As the second-, third- and fourth-generation drugs were developed, the drugs got more potent, had less side effects and can be given less often. It really speaks to the fact that every development of a new drug can help mitigate all the things about the first generation that were imperfect.”
Losing mom to brain cancer fuels an expert’s mission for breakthrough
Gregory L. Beatty of the Perelman School of Medicine is one stage closer to beating glioblastoma, a rare but highly malignant brain cancer that took his mother’s life. His team’s research indicates the importance of the immune system and the potential of immunotherapy in treating this traditionally resistant cancer. “I kept my promise, but this is only the first step,” Beatty says. “There is still so much to do.”
Another Way the Coronavirus is Outsmarting Us
When a virus infiltrates cells, the cell releases interferons, which act like a “burglar alarm,” alerting the rest of the body that a dangerous intruder is present. Susan Weiss, PhD, a professor of Microbiology and co-director of the Penn Center for Research on Coronaviruses and Other Emerging Pathogens, explains how some coronaviruses, like MERS, are able to completely disarm interferons. However, she said, while COVID-19 is evolving to evade interferons, it’s unlikely it will evolve like MERS to completely disable them.
State of Emergencies Declared During Monkeypox Outbreak
Stuart Isaacs, MD, an associate professor of Infectious Diseases, offered the latest information on the spread of monkeypox. While the virus replicates very carefully, which decreases the risk it will mutate, the way it's spreading from person to person is unique, said Isaacs.
Am I Going to Get COVID-19 Again? What to Know About Reinfection.
Even with the newer COVID-19 variants, the vaccines still protect against severe disease. However, variants may continue to evolve to be more effective at getting through the body’s initial line of immune defense. For now, that likely means regular booster shots will be recommended, explained E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology.
Philadelphia Inquirer • Philadelphia Inquirer (2)
August 2022
The Big Booster Question We Should Be Focused On
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, co-wrote a piece examining the state of vaccine protection today and future booster policy. “Anyone who would benefit from an additional boost should act as soon as one is authorized for their age- and health-risk group. If that’s the current standard vaccine, take it, and don’t wait for an omicron-based one,” the authors noted. “When those BA.4/5-based vaccines are rolled out, wait a sensible time (multiple months) before having another boost.”
As BA.5 Spreads, How Long Will a Prior COVID-19 Infection Protect You?
Experts say the window between infections might be shrinking, fueled in part by the immune-evading omicron BA.5 subvariant, although researchers are still gathering data. A COVID-19 infection is no longer a “get out of having COVID” card for the next three months. “I don’t think anyone should think they’re invincible,” explained E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology.
How a New Chewing Gum Could ‘Trap’ COVID-19, Reduce Spread
A new study found that a medically crafted chewing gum could reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers at Penn discovered the gum containing “plant-grown protein” acts as a “trap” for the virus. Ron Collman, MD, a professor of Medicine and Microbiology and a Pulmonary and Critical Care specialist, said, “the approach of making the proteins in plants and using them orally is inexpensive, hopefully scalable; it really is clever.”
Updates on CAR T Cell Therapy
Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, spoke with “Cell & Gene: The Podcast” to discuss the current state of CAR-T therapy, what’s on the horizon for immunotherapy, and an update on the first child to receive CAR-T cell therapy.
Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Benefit From Chemo-Free Treatment Regimen
Data published in the Lancet Oncology — and presented at the 2022 ASCO annual meeting — looked at a treatment combo for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who had stopped receiving chemotherapy. The study was co-led by Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, and Kim Reiss, MD, an assistant professor of Hematology/Oncology.
Losing Mom to Brain Cancer Fuels Penn Medicine Expert’s Mission for Breakthrough
Gregory L. Beatty, MD, PhD, and a team of Penn Medicine researchers recently published breakthrough study results inCancer Immunology Research suggesting that the immune system may be fundamental to outcomes in glioblastoma.
Read More: Penn Medicine News Blog
Markers for Pancreatic Cancer Linked With Better Responses to Chemoimmunotherapy
Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, and colleagues from the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, presented research from the PRINCE trial at the 2022 American Society for Clinical Oncology, which evaluated several chemotherapies and immunotherapies in combination for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
CAR T-Cell Therapy Turns 10 and Finally Earns the Word ‘Cure’
Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, and his team, in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, came up with “the magic formula” of CAR T cell therapy to help save pediatric patient Emily Whitehead, who was dying from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Whitehead is in remission ten years later.
Monkeypox: How Worried Should We Be?
Camden County recently recorded its first case of monkeypox, as the virus gradually spreads in several states. Stuart Isaacs, MD, an associate professor of Infectious Diseases, joined “Radio Times” to discuss monkeypox’s slow spread and provide context on risks for the disease.
Study Finds HIV May Speed Up the Body’s Aging Process
A new study found that HIV may accelerate cellular aging within two to three years of initial infection. While medical advances have ensured that those living with HIV can live long and healthy lives, medical experts stress that studies like this highlight that HIV is still a virus that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Ronald G. Collman, MD, director of the Penn Center for AIDS Research, who was not affiliated with the study, said research like this is a reminder to avoid complacency.
Philadelphia Cancer Research Fueled by More Than $700M National Cancer Institute Grants
Between 2019 and 2021, 43 Philadelphia-area organizations captured more than $765 million in research grants for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) — a figure that ranks fourth in the country. Robert Vonderheide, MD, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, said, “NCI funding — and other NIH funding — provides critical support for all types of research. Abramson Cancer Center researchers hold more than $58 million in annual direct funding from NCI grants and other sponsored research.”
Doctors Finding New Hope in Treatments for Deadly Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is poised to pass lung cancer as the deadliest tumor type, surpassing colon, breast, and prostate cancer. Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, is convinced that a breakthrough in immunotherapy will come soon and said, “Finding genetic mutations like KRAS, as well as the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations better known for their link to breast cancers, can help identify patients who will respond to treatments targeting those mutations.”
What Explains Poor Adherence to EoE Therapy?
Gary Falk, MD, a professor of Gastroenterology, weighed in on why patients often poorly adhere to treatment for Eosinophilic Esophagitis, a chronic disease of the immune system that can lead to damage to esophageal tissue. Falk said patients could forget to take medicine if treatment makes them feel better, and therapy can also be very difficult to follow.
Philadelphia’s Top Cancer Researchers Excited for the Future of Oncology
The Philadelphia Business Journal assembled five leaders from the region’s largest cancer centers, including Penn Medicine, for a “Taking on Cancer” event to discuss the evolution of oncological care, research, and what’s on the horizon for cancer patients. Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, covered the tremendous advances in precision medicine that have shaped cancer care over the past decade. He said, “What excites me is the prospect of taking all these scientific understandings, particularly around the immune system...and actually preventing cancer.”
U.S. Grapples With Whether to Modify COVID-19 Vaccine for Fall
Health authorities are facing a critical decision: whether to offer new COVID-19 booster shots this fall that are modified to better match the latest changes of the coronavirus. The top candidates are “bivalent” shots — a combination of the original vaccine plus omicron protection. That’s because the original vaccines do spur production of some virus-fighting antibodies strong enough to cross-react with newer mutants — in addition to their proven benefits against severe disease, explained E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology.
New Genetic Clues to Severe COVID-19
A team led by Andrew Wells, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, has used advanced genomics techniques to illuminate some of the genetic determinants of severe COVID-19. Wells and colleagues, including first author Matthew Pahl, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate, used advanced techniques to record the complex 3D architecture of genomic DNA, linking the severe-COVID DNA variants to 16 genes expressed in human immune cells. The findings implicate potential targets for future treatments to limit SARS-CoV-2 infection and the inflammation of severe COVID-19.
Read the paper in Genome Biology →
Study Reveals New Genetic Markers of Liver Disease
A large genetic study has nearly doubled the number of gene variants linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), an increasingly common, metabolic and/or obesity-related — but often symptomless — condition that can lead to liver failure with cirrhosis and cancer. The researchers began by comparing the DNA of more than 200,000 U.S. veterans in the Million Veteran Program (MVP), some with suspiciously elevated liver enzyme levels without known causes. In this way, the scientists linked 77 DNA variants to the chronically elevated liver enzyme levels. NAFLD link was further confirmed in 17 DNA variants — eight of which had not been previously associated with NAFLD — among smaller cohorts of patients and controls. The findings bring a more complete picture of the biological causes of NAFLD, opening future prospects for therapeutics or genetic tests to identify patients with higher-than-normal NAFLD risk. The study, involving hundreds of researchers and funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of R&D (I01-BX003362), was led by VA-affiliated investigators at Penn including first author Marijana Vujkovic, PhD, a research assistant professor of Medicine, and senior authors Benjamin F. Voight, PhD, an associate professor of Genetics, and Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Kyong-Mi Chang, MD, a professor of Medicine and associate dean for Research at the Crescenz VA Medical Center, in addition to Daniel Rader, MD, the Seymour Gray Professor of Molecular Medicine and chair of Genetics.
Read the paper in Nature Genetics →
TCF-1 Protein Plays Key Role in Development of T Cells
The protein TCF-1 plays a role in helping different DNA segments to intermingle during T cell creation, a role that could shed new light on immunotherapy approaches that use T cells to fight cancer, according to a new study led by Golnaz Vahedi, PhD, an associate professor of Genetics. Mammalian DNA is folded in 3D structures that keep different sections of DNA insulated from other sections in order to control the expression of different genes. Sometimes, these groupings need to intermingle because a piece of DNA in one area may be required to control and develop a unique set of genes in another. The co-binding of TCF-1, along with the protein CTCF, increases interactions across sections of the genome as T cells mature, indicating that TCF-1 plays an essential role in the development and maturation of T cells. Understanding this mechanism can help inform newer approaches to developing immunotherapies that aim to manipulate T cells for use as cancer-fighting drugs.
Read the paper in Nature Immunology →
University of Pennsylvania to Auction Off COVID-19 Vaccine NFT
To celebrate the mRNA vaccine breakthrough at the Perelman School of Medicine, the Wharton School’s Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research, created a non-fungible token (NFT) that will be auctioned off by Christie’s in July. The NFT, which was also supported by the Penn Center for Innovation, includes an animated video explaining mRNA technology and unique notes from Weissman.
New York Post • Becker’s Hospital Review • Art Daily
The Topic of Cancer
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a lot of trial and error moments breaking down silos, refocusing resources, and paving a promising new path in the battle against cancer. According to Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, “there have been unprecedented changes in cancer care and cancer research with the pandemic.”
Scientists Behind mRNA Vaccines Win Tang Prize
Penn Medicine mRNA scientists continue to receive accolades for their research that gave way to mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, and Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor in Neurosurgery, were awarded the 2022 Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science from the Tang Prize Foundation in Taipei. The award recognizes the scientists’ perseverance and contributions to the world.
COVID-19 Vaccine: Meet the Inventors Behind Pfizer and Moderna’s Shots
Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, were awarded the Ross Prize from the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and Molecular Medicine at Northwell Health. “As you hear in my presentation, it’s not just me and Drew, but we agree on that hundreds of scientists contributed to the result,” said Karikó.
Cancer Trials Suggest Tantalizing New Benefits for Immunotherapies in More Patients
Immunotherapies have transformed treatment for some advanced cancers including melanoma, lung cancer, and blood cancers. In solid tumors, however, it remains a challenge, yet much research is under way. One study, called PRINCE, was presented during the 2022 American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting, and published in Nature Medicine, tested two chemotherapy drugs and immunotherapy showing a one-year survival rate of around 58 percent, compared with a historical average of 35 percent with chemotherapy alone. Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center and study author, said, “This is the field’s biggest challenge — to identify which patients respond to which immunotherapies.”
July 2022
Philadelphia Cell and Gene Therapy Jobs Increased 127 Percent Since 2019
The number of people in the Philadelphia region working in jobs tied to cell and gene therapy has more than doubled in less than three years, according to an updated life sciences industry workforce report released this week. The analysis evaluated the current employment landscape identifying future talent needs to boost the region’s standing as a key hub for cell and gene therapy. Penn Medicine researchers, led by Carl June, MD, director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies and the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, developed what would become the first FDA approved CAR T-cell therapy for cancer, an achievement that occurred in 2017.
An NFT of a COVID-19 Vaccine Heads to Auction
In July, Christie’s will be auctioning a non-fungible token (NFT) created by the Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance at Wharton and by Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research. The NFT, the development of which was also supported by the Penn Center for Innovation, is a celebration of the mRNA vaccine technology breakthrough that happened at the Perelman School of Medicine.
COVID-19 Is Making Flu and Other Common Viruses Act in Unfamiliar Ways
More than two years into the coronavirus pandemic, familiar viruses are acting in unfamiliar ways. For example, the flu is back, but without one common lineage known as Yamagata, which hasn’t been spotted since early 2020. Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, emphasized to the Washington Post why vaccines are more important than ever, as old viruses behave differently. “Even in years when vaccines are mismatched, there is some level of protection,” he said, “preventing hospitalizations and deaths.” Hensley also commented on flu trends to Bloomberg and TODAY.
Karikó and Weissman Receive Ross Prize for mRNA Research Collaboration
Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, were recently awarded the Ross Prize from the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and Molecular Medicine at Northwell Health. “As you hear in my presentation, it’s not just me and Drew, but we agree on that hundreds of scientists contributed to the result,” Karikó said. Their honor was covered by NBC New York and Yahoo Finance. The researchers also recently received the Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science from the Tang Prize Foundation. Read more in the Taipei Times.
See additional awards and accolades for faculty, staff and students. →
Four Penn Scientists Chosen as 2022 Pew Scholars
The Pew Charitable Trusts have named Maayan Levy, PhD, an assistant professor of Microbiology, a 2022 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences. The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust have also selected Alexander Huang, MD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology, and Chengcheng Jin, PhD, an assistant professor of Cancer Biology, as 2022 Pew-Stewart Scholars for Cancer Research. John James Tello Cajiao, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, has been named a 2022 Pew Latin American Fellow in the Biomedical Sciences. Read the Penn Medicine news release about their selections.
U.S. Grapples With Whether to Modify COVID-19 Vaccine for Fall
Health authorities are facing a critical decision: whether to offer new COVID-19 booster shots this fall that are modified to better match the latest changes of the coronavirus. The top candidates are “bivalent” shots — a combination of the original vaccine plus omicron protection. That’s because the original vaccines do spur production of some virus-fighting antibodies strong enough to cross-react with newer mutants — in addition to their proven benefits against severe disease, explained E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology.
TCF-1 Protein Plays Key Role in Development of T Cells
The protein TCF-1 plays a role in helping different DNA segments to intermingle during T cell creation, a role that could shed new light on immunotherapy approaches that use T cells to fight cancer, according to a new study led by Golnaz Vahedi, PhD, an associate professor of Genetics. Mammalian DNA is folded in 3D structures that keep different sections of DNA insulated from other sections in order to control the expression of different genes. Sometimes, these groupings need to intermingle because a piece of DNA in one area may be required to control and develop a unique set of genes in another. The co-binding of TCF-1, along with the protein CTCF, increases interactions across sections of the genome as T cells mature, indicating that TCF-1 plays an essential role in the development and maturation of T cells. Understanding this mechanism can help inform newer approaches to developing immunotherapies that aim to manipulate T cells for use as cancer-fighting drugs.
10 Groundbreaking Medical Innovations That Are Dramatically Changing Healthcare Outcomes
CAR T cell therapy tops the list of 10 groundbreaking medical innovations, according to Better magazine. David Porter, MD, the Jodi Fisher Horowitz Professor in Leukemia Care Excellence, said, “Imagine the cancer cell has velcro on the outside, but the patient doesn’t have the immune cell with that other piece of velcro to stick to it. With CAR T, the immune cells are taken out and genetically changed to have both pieces of velcro, and when cancer cells are nearby, they stick together and the T cell can now kill the cancer cells.”
Penn Spinout Vittoria Biotherapeutics Emerges from Stealth Mode with $10M Seed Round
A Philadelphia life sciences company spun out of Penn is emerging from stealth mode with nearly $10 million from a seed funding round. Vittoria Biotherapeutics’ mission is to overcome limitations of CAR T cell therapy by using unique cell engineering and gene editing technologies to create new therapies that address unmet clinical needs. The technology the company is attempting to commercialize was developed by Marco Ruella, MD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, who is the company’s scientific founder.
Gene Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer: Experimental Approach Shrank Tumors in One Patient
An experimental treatment appears to have been successful in halting the progression of one woman's advanced pancreatic cancer, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, is quoted discussing the promise of the approach.
NBC News
Penn’s First NFT Commemorates mRNA Research
A non-fungible token, created by the Wharton School’s Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, will commemorate the mRNA vaccine breakthrough at the Perelman School of Medicine. It will be auctioned off by Christie’s from July 15-25. “What’s included in the NFT is an incredible animated video that demonstrates how the mRNA platform works, as well as a storyboard that explains what’s depicted,” said Craig Carnaroli, senior executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania, noting that the NFT symbolizes the impactful research that was pioneered at Penn which helped pave the way for mRNA COVID vaccines. The creation of the NFT was supported by the Penn Center for Innovation.
Penn Medicine News Release • Reuters • Philadelphia Business Journal
The Scientists Who Made the COVID-19 Vaccine Possible on How the Pandemic Will End
After receiving the Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine from the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and the journal Molecular Medicine, Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, discussed their research collaboration in mRNA technology, the ongoing fight against COVID-19, and the application of RNA therapeutics for other diseases.
Why This Year’s Flu Season Is Abnormally Long
The U.S. flu season typically ends in the spring, but cases are still on the rise in much of the country, despite summer being around the corner. “Flu vaccines are clearly our best protection against influenza,” said Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology. “Even in years when there are antigenic mismatches, flu vaccines prevent serious disease and death.”
Blood-Based Immune Biomarkers Help Identify Pancreatic Cancer Chemoimmunotherapies
During the 2022 American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting, Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, discussed the results of the phase 2 randomized study of chemoimmunotherapy for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. He said, “What we found is evidence that chemotherapy and immunotherapy can work together and offer some patients some survival benefit. We are now studying who those patients are.”
A Better Way to Measure Immunity in Children
Scientists have argued that COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers should have been measuring T cells, which can kill infected cells and rid the body of the virus. That “would have allowed us to possibly make a different decision about allowing a vaccine to move forward earlier,” said E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology. “If we don’t measure the T cells, we’re missing a big part of what’s happening.”
New York Times • New York Times (2)
COVID-19 Is Making Flu and Other Common Viruses Act in Unfamiliar Ways
More than two years into the coronavirus pandemic, familiar viruses are acting in unfamiliar ways. For example, the flu is back, but without one common lineage known as Yamagata, which hasn’t been spotted since early 2020. Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, emphasized why vaccines are more important than ever, as old viruses behave differently. “Even in years when vaccines are mismatched, there is some level of protection,” he said, “preventing hospitalizations and deaths.”
Penn Reinvesting COVID-19 Vaccine Royalties into Research
The University of Pennsylvania plans to use proceeds from patents connected to the COVID-19 vaccines for an expansion of scientific and medical research in Philadelphia, where Penn is already the main driver of the burgeoning cell and gene therapy sector. Those plans include a $350 million addition of laboratory space on top of 3600 Civic Center Blvd. Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, chemically modified mRNA to enable it to slip past the immune system so it could deliver its instructions, eventually paving the way for the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. John S. Swartley, associate vice provost for Research and managing director of the Penn Center for Innovation, and Jonathan Epstein, chief scientific officer for Penn Medicine, were quoted, with Epstein suggesting that mRNA can lead to many new treatment options.
Australia’s Early Flu Season Shows Americans Need Their Shots
An early uptick in flu cases in Australia has public health officials concerned and should prompt the U.S. to put the familiar virus back on the public’s radar. In some parts of the country, last winter’s flu continues to circulate. “It is just wild that we sit here on June 2nd and still have substantial flu activity,” said Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology.
Penn Spinout Vittoria Biotherapeutics Emerges from Stealth Mode with $10M Seed Round
A Philadelphia life sciences company spun out of Penn is emerging from stealth mode with nearly $10 million from a seed funding round. Vittoria Biotherapeutics’ mission is to overcome limitations of CAR T cell therapy by using unique cell engineering and gene editing technologies to create new therapies that address unmet clinical needs. The technology the company is attempting to commercialize was developed by Marco Ruella, MD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, who is the company’s scientific founder.
mRNA Creators Studying Vaccines’ Myocarditis Risk
On Tuesday, Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, received the Ross Prize from the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research at Northwell Health. The prize recognizes scientists who drive scientific understanding and treatment and whose work has potential for even more scientific breakthroughs.
Novavax Hopes its COVID Shot Wins Over FDA, Vaccine Holdouts
Novavax is waiting for FDA approval on its mRNA vaccine which is a more generic vaccine compared to the mRNA COVID vaccines. The company thinks that some people will be more comfortable with their vaccine since it's a protein vaccine designed like most of the other vaccines people receive. E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology & Translational Therapeutics, said that, with the data so far, the Novavax vaccine appears to be an "impressive protein vaccine."
‘Of Medicine And Miracles’: Documentary Highlighting Personalized Cancer Therapy Premieres at Tribeca
The behind-the-scenes story detailing the pursuit of a transformative cancer cure unfolded onscreen at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City this weekend. “Of Medicine and Miracles,” which premiered during the renowned festival, reveals decades of research — and one young patient’s family’s last hopes to save their daughter — that culminated in the world’s first CAR T-cell therapy. “It’s as close to a miracle as I’ve ever seen, and she came close to death many times,” said Carl June, MD, director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies and the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, of then six-year-old leukemia patient Emily Whitehead, the first child to receive the experimental treatment. “And now there are more than 15,000 people who’ve been treated with what she first got here in Philadelphia.”
The Coronavirus Will Likely Evade Paxlovid Eventually. What That Means is Unclear.
It is likely that one day, COVID-19 will develop a resistance to the antiviral treatment Paxlovid, which could lead to worse outcomes for patients. Sara Cherry, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, explained that it is difficult to know how many cases of resistance may already exist because there hasn't been a systematic approach to tracking it to this point.
June 2022
Three-Arm First-Line Chemoimmunotherapy Study in Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
Combinations of chemotherapy and immunotherapy showed activity in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, according to findings from a national, randomized clinical trial presented during the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting and simultaneously published in Nature Medicine. Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, the John H. Glick Abramson Cancer Center Professor and director of the Abramson Cancer Center, said, “We now hope to evaluate these potential biomarkers in further trials to see if they’ll enable us reliably to identify patients who will respond best to this and other combination therapies.”
Local Infectious Disease Experts Say Monkeypox is Familiar and Preventable
Stuart Isaacs, MD, an associate professor of Infectious Diseases, discussed the rise of the monkeypox virus. He said one of the reasons potentially for the spread in Africa is due to declining rates of vaccination against smallpox. While he acknowledges spread, he does not think this virus will rise to the level of SARS-CoV-2.
Reprogrammed Cells Attack and Tame Deadly Cancer in One Woman
Data published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that researchers have found a way to tame pancreatic cancer in a woman whose disease was far advanced and after other forms of treatment had failed. The experiment involved genetically reprogramming the patient's T cells to recognize and kill cancer cells targeting a mutated protein called KRAS, the culprit in about 95% of pancreas cancers. Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, Phil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, who was not involved with the research, said that researchers "have been trying to target KRAS immunologically for more than 20 years." Killing cancer cells by attacking cells with KRAS mutations has "major implications."
Biomarker Strategies Show Potential for Guiding Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
A combination of chemotherapy with an immunotherapy meant to unleash the anticancer capacity of the immune system was effective against pancreatic cancer in a national, randomized clinical trial led by Abramson Cancer Center researchers, including Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, the John H. Glick Abramson Cancer Center Professor and director of the Abramson Cancer Center.
Penn Medicine News Release • Precision Oncology News
UB Medical School Hosts Two Leading Doctors in the Covid-19 Fight
The University of Buffalo will host Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research, to recognize his, and his research partner's, contributions to the mRNA platform on which two effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were built. Weissman will speak at a public talk there over the weekend.
Monkeypox and COVID-19 Are Different in Almost Every Way You Can Imagine
Stuart Isaacs, MD, of Infectious Diseases and an expert on pox viruses, shared facts about the monkeypox virus and the recent cases of the virus that have been reported mainly in Europe. “There seems to be some more human-to-human transmission than we might expect,” Isaacs said.
Genetic Variants May Help Explain the Variability in COVID-19 Severity
Though underlying medical conditions play an important role, many aspects of why COVID-19 severity can differ vastly from one to another has remained unclear. A new study identifies dozens of genomic variations that may drive these hard-to-predict differences in clinical outcomes. According to work led by Penn Medicine scientists, including co-author Sarah Tishkoff, PhD, the David and Lyn Silfen University Professor in Genetics and Biology, genomic variants in four genes that are critical to SARS-CoV-2 infection, including the ACE2 gene, were targets of natural selection and associated with health conditions seen in COVID-19 patients.
Evusheld Offers Vulnerable Americans Protection from COVID-19. Getting It Has Been Complicated.
It’s been about six months since the pharmaceutical maker AstraZeneca released the COVID-19 antibody treatment Evusheld, which is designed to help people with weak immune systems. Aimee Payne, MD, PhD, a professor of Dermatology and director of the Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, specializes in the rare autoimmune disease pemphigus vulgaris, which can cause fatal blistering. Its treatment can wipe out a large part of the immune system, so the COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t appear to give her patients full protection. “Some of them agreed immediately. Some of them had additional questions,” Payne said of Evusheld.
New Cancer Vaccine Bludgeons a Tumor’s Defenses Better Than Ever
A new study in Nature unveiled a cancer vaccine that prevents a tumor from evading immune cells. Early results indicate that the vaccine could be the first step towards creating a universal cancer shot potentially used alongside conventional cancer therapies and may prevent patients from relapsing. Andy Minn, MD, PhD, a professor of Radiation Oncology, who was not involved with the study, said, “We’re still a long way off from bringing this vaccine to the clinic...but future clinical trials are required to ensure the vaccine is safe and effective in humans. If successful, it holds the promise of helping countless patients beat their battles with cancer.”
Better Fat Bubbles Could Power a New Generation of mRNA Vaccines
Science reported on a key part of mRNA vaccines: lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which are tiny bubbles of fat that help carry mRNA into the body. Mohamad-Gabriel Alameh, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, studied an LNP similar to the one used in the BioNTech/Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Alameh found that it can cause desired and undesired inflammatory effects. The goal now is to design ionizable lipids that activate favorable immune pathways without overstimulating detrimental ones.
Immunology of Glioblastoma Tumors Differ at Diagnosis and Recurrence
Glioblastoma is a cancer that responds poorly to immunotherapy. Research led by Gregory Beatty, MD, director of the Clinical and Translational Research Program at the Penn Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, now shows that the body’s immune response to glioblastoma differs at the time of diagnosis and at recurrence. Looking inside the tumor helped to better understand its inner workings, by which the immune system and cancer interact. At the time of recurrence, T cells were enriched and activated in perivascular regions, and associated with longer survival. These findings suggest that these perivascular T cells might be potential therapeutic targets.
Read the paper in Cancer Immunology Research →
“Keto” Molecule May Be Useful in Preventing and Treating Colorectal Cancer
A molecule produced in the liver in response to starvation or to low-carb “ketogenic” diets has a powerful effect in suppressing colorectal tumor growth and may be useful as a preventive and treatment of such cancers. Researchers initially found that mice on low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diets have a striking resistance to colorectal tumor development and growth. The scientists traced this effect to a starvation-induced small organic molecule beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). The team showed that BHB slows the growth of gut cells by activating a surface receptor called Hcar2. This, in turn, stimulates the expression of a growth-slowing gene, Hopx. The study was led by Maayan Levy, PhD, and Christoph Thaiss, PhD, both assistant professors of Microbiology, and Oxana Dmitrieva-Posocco, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Levy’s lab.
The Search for Longer-lasting COVID-19 Vaccines
There are still many questions left to answer about COVID-19 vaccines and immunology, said E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology. Those questions include: How long do memory B cells and memory T cells last? Why do different people respond differently to these vaccines? “These and many more questions still need answers if we are going to use this platform most effectively,” Wherry noted.
Pfizer’s Grip on Paxlovid Thwarts Research on COVID-19 Treatment
Pfizer Inc. is resisting requests for study supplies of its COVID-19 pill, Paxlovid, disappointing researchers. They have not started any new combination trials in patients and researchers are saying they can’t get the drug for human studies that could maintain or improve its effectiveness and expand use. “Unfortunately what is going to happen is the combinations will start as soon as we start seeing resistance,” predicts Sara Cherry, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, who’s studying COVID-19 drug cocktails in her lab.
What Does ‘Protection’ Against COVID-19 Really Mean?
Last month, E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, along with researchers, physicians, and biotech representatives sent a letter to the FDA urging the agency to monitor T cells — alongside antibody levels — to better assess immunity to determine the effectiveness of new vaccines undergoing review by regulators. Wherry spoke with Scientific American about T cell measurement and why it is important for vaccine studies.
Rapid Manufacturing Process Allows CAR T Cells to be Produced in Less Than a Day
In a Penn Medicine study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, researchers were able to shorten the time it takes to manufacture CAR-T cells in the lab, from nearly two weeks down to one day. According to lead author Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD, associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, “A major goal was to determine whether we really need to activate T cells prior to infusion. The result is a more potent therapy manufactured from the patient’s fresh blood cells through a more efficient process.”
Should Parents Wait to Get the COVID-19 Booster for Their Children?
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, answered questions after the FDA authorized COVID-19 boosters for kids ages 5-11. “This is great news,” Wherry said. “About 1,000 kids have died from COVID-19 over the pandemic, so kids are really at risk.” He also discussed the amount of disinformation out there on vaccines, which has contributed to vaccine hesitancy.
The U.S. Is About to Make a Big Gamble on Our Next COVID-19 Winter
Experts are expected to choose a vaccine recipe for the fall, when omicron may or may not still be the globe’s dominant variant. Commenting on a potential omicron-only vaccine, E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, was one of several scientists who said it would be safer to keep something with the original variant.
A Silver Lining for Those Who Have Been Infected by Omicron
People who are vaccinated and then get infected with omicron may be primed to overcome a broad range of coronavirus variants, judging from early research. “We should think about breakthrough infections as essentially equivalent to another dose of vaccine,” explained E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology.
Notable Health Studies & Research: Penn Medicine’s Bladder Cancer Research
The first bladder cancer drug targeting a cancer-driving gene mutation has been used relatively little despite its clear efficacy, according to a new study from Penn Medicine. The study was led by Vivek Nimgaonkar, a PSOM student and graduate associate with the Penn Center for Precision Medicine, and co-authors Ronac Mamtani, MD, and Erica Carpenter, MBA, PhD, both assistant professors of Hematology-Oncology. Carpenter is also director of the Liquid Biopsy Laboratory.
Penn Medicine News Release • StudyFinds
These Nanobots Can Swim Around a Wound and Kill Bacteria
Researchers created autonomous particles covered with patches of protein “motors,” with a hope that these bots could tote lifesaving drugs through bodily fluids in the future. In a recent study, they loaded silica nanobots with experimental antibiotics to treat infected wounds on mice. “The machines can actually travel around the wound and clear the infection as they go,” explained César de la Fuente, PhD, a Presidential Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, Microbiology, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Bioengineering, and co-lead on the project.
“Keto” Molecule May Be Useful in Preventing and Treating Colorectal Cancer
We are all familiar with the keto diet — a low carb, high fat diet which makes your body enter ketosis, or a metabolic state during which your body burns fat for energy instead of carbs. According to a recent study led by Maayan Levy, PhD, and Christoph Thaiss, PhD, both assistant professors of Microbiology, and Oxana Dmitrieva-Posocco, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Levy’s lab, the liver reacts to ketosis by producing a molecule called beta-hydroxybutyrate, or BHB.
May 2022
What’s NEX-T for CAR T, Plus its Strategy for Next-Gen Cancer Cell Therapy?
Cell therapy as a field is moving to find new ways to improve the way autologous therapies are manufactured. Some of that innovation is coming from Penn, where the first approved CAR T treatment, Kymriah, was initially developed. Penn recently unveiled a shortened manufacturing process that yields functional CAR T cells in 24 hours. That research was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering and led by Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Saba Ghassemi, PhD, a research assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
It Feels Like Everyone Is Non-COVID Sick Right Now. What Gives?
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, was quoted discussing how the immune system works and how babies’ immune systems differ from adult ones. “Your immune system has layers to it,” Wherry said. “Think about it a bit like LEGO blocks.”
U.S. May Default to Annual COVID-19 Boosters Without Sufficient Data
Last week experts signed a letter urging the FDA to put more emphasis on assessing additional parts of the immune response to COVID-19 vaccines, arguing that measuring T cells is critical to understanding long-lasting vaccine protection. “I think there are a lot of forces here that have had us almost myopically assessing antibodies as the guiding force in what immune measurements are most important,” said E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, one of the letter writers. “The antibody trajectories don’t explain the fact that nobody’s ending up in the hospital.”
The Quest for a Universal Coronavirus Vaccine
As vaccine makers rush to stamp out new COVID-19 variants, some scientists have set their sights higher, aiming for a universal coronavirus vaccine that could tackle any future strains and possibly even stave off another pandemic. Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, who was a pioneer of the mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines, is leading one such project. “We may have a universal vaccine in two or three years, but we’re going to have to keep working on it and changing it over time to keep ahead of the virus,” Weissman said.
Scientists Urge FDA to Assess T-Cell Levels In COVID-19 Vaccine Analysis
More than 60 scientists from across the United States have signed a letter to the Food and Drug Administration asking the agency to include T cells as a measurement of effectiveness for COVID-19 vaccines, instead of just looking at antibodies. While antibodies protect against initial infection, T-cells protect against hospitalization, explained E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, one of the letter writers.
Inside Health Policy • Boston Globe • Biospace
COVID-19 Vaccine’s mRNA Technology Also Works for an HIV Vaccine
WHYY highlighted research from Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, which found that the mRNA vaccine platform can work to prevent HIV. Because the virus mutates quickly, it can be difficult to create a vaccine for it. Weissman and colleagues determined how to stabilize the rapidly changing envelope of the virus and then make antibodies.
Should You Get Another COVID-19 Booster, if Eligible?
The FDA has authorized additional COVID-19 shots for older Americans and those with certain immune deficiencies. E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Institute for Immunology, spoke about the news to a wide variety of media outlets, including the Associated Press, CBS News, and The Atlantic, among others. “I’m a firm believer in vaccines. I like the idea of physicians and immunocompromised and high-risk patients having options,” Wherry told the New York Times. WHYY also highlighted findings from a recent Cell study by Wherry and colleagues that demonstrated the utility of boosters, especially against the omicron variant.
Untangling the Origins of a Human Malaria Parasite
It has been known for about a century that chimpanzees are infected by parasites that appeared indistinguishable from Plasmodium malariae, one of six parasites that spread malaria in humans. The parasite that infected chimpanzees was named Plasmodium rodhaini but, for decades, experts debated whether the two parasites represented one or two species, and what, if any, evolutionary links existed between the two. Now, Penn researchers including Beatrice Hahn, MD, a professor of Medicine and Microbiology, and colleagues with the University of Edinburgh reveal that Plasmodium malariae originated in African apes before evolving to colonize humans.
Read the paper in Nature Communications
Researchers Cut CAR T Manufacturing Time Down to 24 Hours
Penn Medicine researchers have found a way to reduce the time it takes to alter patients’ immune cells for infusion back into the body to find and attack cancer. Preclinical research demonstrates that the cell manufacturing process for CAR T immunotherapy, which typically takes nine to 14 days, can be decreased to just 24 hours. The study was led by Center for Cellular Immunotherapies researchers Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Saba Ghassemi, PhD, a research assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. These results demonstrate the potential for a vast reduction in the time, materials, and labor required to generate CAR T cells, which could be especially beneficial in patients with rapidly progressive disease and in resource-poor health care environments.
Bimekizumab Treatment Shows Promise in Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis
At the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) annual meeting, new data were presented on bimekizumab for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, which has not yet recieved FDA approval. Joel Gelfand, MD, a professor in Dermatology, joined a panel to discuss this information and what the potential is for the treatment.
CAR-T Cell Therapy Documentary Set to Premiere at Tribeca Festival
A documentary about the development of CAR-T cell therapy will premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Titled “Of Medicine and Miracles,” the film follows the story of Emily Whitehead, a young leukemia patient, as she enters a long-shot trial designed by a collaborative clinical team at Penn Medicine and CHOP. Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Bruce Levine, PhD, the Barbara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy, and David Porter, MD, the Jodi Fisher Horowitz Professor in Leukemia Care Excellence, are featured in the film.
When the Science Is Messy: How SciCheck Handles Scientific Disputes
Many experts agree that we don’t know what the future will hold when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a piece explaining scientific fact-checking, E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, was quoted. “If there’s one thing we’ve learned through this pandemic, it’s to be humble about the virus. And to be very, very careful about making predictions.”
COVID-19 Prevention Must Extend Beyond Vaccines for Patients Receiving Cell Therapies
COVID-19 infection mitigation is essential for patients with hematologic malignancies because they are at increased risk for severe infection, hospitalization, and mortality if they contract the virus. David L. Porter, MD, the Jodi Fisher Horowitz Professor in Leukemia Care Excellence and director of Cell Therapy and Transplantation at the Abramson Cancer Center, discussed vaccine efficacy, COVID-19 treatment options, and other ways that cell therapy recipients can take precautions during the pandemic. “Moving forward, as the incidence of COVID-19 goes down and our preventive and treatment strategies get better, patients will be freer to resume a more normal life,” he said.
$10 Million Gift from the Abramson Family Foundation Supports Abramson Cancer Center Research Efforts
A generous $10 million gift from the Abramson Family Foundation will help ensure Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center remains on the leading edge of cancer research and care. In recognition of the gift, the lobby of the new Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania will be named in memory of the late Emeritus Trustee Madlyn K. Abramson, ED’57, GED’60, who passed away in 2020. The Abramson family has a long legacy of championing cancer care and research at Penn Medicine. Over the past several decades, they have given more than $163 million to the Abramson Cancer Center, moved by a vision to support the bold ideas and patient-centered approaches that have propelled the center to its global reputation as a leader in cancer care and research. J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, and Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of Abramson Cancer Center, were quoted.
Penn Medicine News Release • Philadelphia Business Journal
Six COVID-19 Mysteries Experts Hope to Unravel
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, was quoted discussing hybrid immunity and those who have not had COVID-19 yet. He noted that omicron as a first infection might not give people the immunity weapons that would be helpful later. “Omicron infection in previously unvaccinated, previously uninfected individuals seems to do quite poorly in inducing antibodies that can efficiently cross-neutralize other variants.”
A Decade of CAR T Cell Therapy
Research and development of CAR T cell therapy, which was pioneered at Penn Medicine, has exploded, with hundreds of clinical trials underway across a variety of specialties, including blood and solid cancers, HIV, autoimmune diseases, and even heart attacks. In this feature on the history and future of CAR T, various faculty were highlighted, including Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Aimee Payne, MD, PhD, a professor of Dermatology; Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research; and Jonathan Epstein, MD, chief scientific officer for Penn Medicine and the William Wikoff Smith Professor of Cardiovascular Research.
Do You Need a Second COVID-19 Booster? ‘It Depends,’ Penn Medicine Experts Say
In a study published earlier this month, Penn Medicine researchers found that two doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine generate significant antibodies. Though they wane over time, the researchers found that memory B cells are long lasting. E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, and one of the study’s authors, explained what this means for people eligible for another booster and the implications for others.
Penn Medicine Appoints Robert Vonderheide to Second Five-Year Term as Director of the Abramson Cancer Center
Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, has been appointed to a second five-year term as director of the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) at the University of Pennsylvania, following a highly successful tenure.
Read More: Penn Medicine News Release
Q&A on Second COVID-19 Boosters for Older People
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, answered questions about the FDA’s approval for a second COVID-19 booster for older people. “I think having more options on the table for people is good. It gives physicians a little more choice and ease of recommending a fourth shot if they think it’s necessary,” Wherry said. But, he said, there is little to suggest that second boosters are needed for some of the eligible population.
Could a Single Vaccine Fend Off All Versions of COVID-19? Here’s Where the Science Stands
Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, is working to develop a pancoronavirus vaccine, a vaccine that would offer protection from all types of coronaviruses like COVID-19, SARS, and others. “We’ve had three coronavirus epidemics in the last 20 years,” he said. “That tells us we’re going to have more...We can wait for the next one to appear and rush to make a new vaccine and shut the world down for a year and a half. Or we can make one now so it’s ready to go.”
San Francisco Chronicle • Business Insider
New Liquid Biopsy Method Infers RNA Expression From DNA Fragmentation Analysis
A study published in Nature Biotechnology profiling circulating tumor DNA in the bloodstream shows promise for noninvasive cancer detection. Newly emerging mutations in cancer genes could allow oncologists to adjust precision medicine treatments to fit the evolving tumor progression without having to re-biopsy tissue. Golnaz Vahedi, PhD, an associate professor of Genetics, who was not involved with the study, said she is looking forward to this approach being used in other disease areas including autoimmune, and thinks the technique could have far-ranging applications.
40 Under 40: Meet the 2022 Honorees
Each year, the Philadelphia Business Journalrecognizes 40 remarkable individuals under the age of 40 who are making their mark on the region. This year, the honorees include David Fajgenbaum, MD, co-founder and executive director of the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network and an assistant professor of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics, and Christina Furia, senior associate director of External Manufacturing at the Gene Therapy Program.
Philadelphia Business Journal • Philadelphia Business Journal (2)
Next-Gen Vaccines Poised to Intercept Cancers
A new generation of cancer-preventing vaccines could stop tumors before they start. Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, and his team are testing a DNA-based vaccine targeting hTERT, an antigen that marks many tumors in patients in remission from cancers who have inherited mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. The goal? To mobilize T cells to recognize and kill tumor cells, and find a way to judge efficacy of these new vaccines, such as through biomarkers that could detect, for instance, a change in blood-borne immune cells. “This is formidable,” Vonderheide says. “But we’re inspired because the impact will be massive.”
CAR T-Cell Development Time Undergoes Significant Reduction
Penn investigators may have unlocked a method of developing CAR T-cell therapy while significantly reducing the production time, according to results of a preclinical study recently published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. Typically, manufacturing cells for this type of immunotherapy requires between 9 to 14 days. The study, led by Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, had researchers develop infusion-ready cells with antitumor potency to decrease the manufacturing to less than 24 hours.
Apremilast’s Effect on CVD Risk Markers Evaluated in Study
New research from Joel Gelfand, MD, director of the Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center, showed that while the psoriasis drug apremilast did not decrease vascular inflammation, it cut body fat without affecting weight.
Study Reveals How COVID-19 Infections Can Set Off Massive Inflammation in the Body
A new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature revealed that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect certain kinds of immune cells called monocytes and macrophages. “I think what was interesting about this is it could provide a clue and perhaps even some druggable targets for why some of the inflammation that we see in severe COVID-19 patients might get kick started the wrong way or proceed out of control,” said E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, who was not involved in the study.
Karikó and Weissman Receive Gairdner Award for Foundational Research
Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, were awarded the Gairdner Award for their mRNA research that gave way to Pfizer/BioNTech’s and Moderna’s respective mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Canadian researcher Peter Cullis also received the award for his COVID-vaccine work.
Innovation In CAR T Cell Therapy Manufacturing
Data published in Nature Biomedical Engineeringshows how Penn researchers in the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, led by Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Saba Ghassemi, PhD, a research assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, have been able to generate non-activated CAR-T cells in less than 24 hours in animal studies. According to Ghassemi, “this innovative approach shifts the CAR T manufacturing paradigm by simplifying, expediting, and making CAR T cell therapy more affordable.”
Research Still Needed on CAR T Cells in Solid Tumors
Steven M. Albelda, MD, the William Maul Measey Professor of Medicine, discussed the successes and downfalls of chimeric antigen receptor T cells in solid tumor research. The FDA has approved various CAR T-cell agents to treat hematologic malignancies over the past few years and more continue to be developed and evaluated in clinical trials. However, the solid tumor field has not had any CAR T-cell agents receive regulatory approval.
A Team at Penn Says It Has Slashed CAR-T Cell Therapy Manufacturing Timeframe to Just 24 Hours
Penn researchers have found a way to reduce the time it takes to alter immune cells for infusion back into the body to find and attack cancer. Pre-clinical research published in Nature Biomedical Engineeringdemonstrates that CAR T cell therapy, which typically takes nine to 14 days to manufacture, has been decreased to just 24 hours, which could be especially beneficial in patients with rapidly progressive disease and in resource-poor healthcare environments. The research was led by Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Saba Ghassemi, PhD, a research assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
EndPointsNews • European Pharmaceutical Review • MedPage Today
Psoriasis Therapy Has Mixed Effects on Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Joel Gelfand, MD, director of the Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center, presented research results at the American Academy of Dermatology meeting. Gelfand and colleagues found that the psoriasis drug apremilast did not curb vascular inflammation but did decrease body fat without affecting weight. Gelfand said more research is needed to validate their results.
Research on Mice That ‘Sweat Out’ Fat Wins STAT Madness
A team of Penn Medicine researchers under the leadership of Taku Kambayashi, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and medical student Ruth Choa, PhD, have won the 2022 STAT Madness competition. The bracket-style tournament hosted by STAT aims to find the best innovations in science and medicine. Penn garnered 71 percent of the vote in the final round, and were a crowd favorite of the audience at the STAT Breakthrough Science Summit last week.
STAT News • STAT News (2) • Philadelphia Inquirer
April 2022
A Second COVID-19 Booster Can’t Hurt — But It May Not Help Much, Either
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, spoke with The Atlantic about the FDA’s recent decision for Americans older than 50 to get a second booster shot. Wherry explained considerations to keep in mind.
The FDA Approves a Second Booster Shot for Adults 50 and Older
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, joined “Good Day Philadelphia” to discuss the newly authorized second booster COVID-19 vaccine and the new omicron subvariant BA.2.
Researchers Manufacture Functional CAR T Cells in 24 Hours
A new approach from Penn researchers could cut the time it takes to alter patients’ immune cells for infusion back into the body to find and attack cancer. According to pre-clinical research in Nature Biomedical Engineering, CAR T cell therapy, which was pioneered at Penn and typically takes nine to 14 days, has been reduced to just 24 hours. Research was led by Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Saba Ghassemi, PhD, a research assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
Penn’s Latest CAR-T Work Taps Llamas to Home in on Gastrointestinal Tumors
The lack of a tumor-specific biomarker poses one major challenge for the development of CAR-T cell therapies for solid tumors. However, new research from the Abramson Cancer Center led by Xianxin Hua, MD, PhD, a professor of Cancer Biology, Zijie Feng, a research scientist in Cancer Biology, and Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, identified a cell surface protein that could be used for CAR-T therapy against hard-to-treat solid tumors, including gastrointestinal cancers and neuroendocrine tumors, with help from llama-derived nanobodies.
FierceBiotech • Drug Target Review
Should You Get Another COVID-19 Booster?
The FDA has authorized additional COVID-19 shots for older Americans and those with certain immune deficiencies. E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, spoke about the news, and who needs the dose and when. “I’m a firm believer in vaccines. I like the idea of physicians and immunocompromised and high-risk patients having options,” Wherry said.
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Efforts Underway to Develop Vaccines to Protect Against All Coronaviruses
Insider wrote about how slowly vaccines are developed under normal circumstances and compared that to the speed that the COVID-19 vaccines were developed. In order to be ready for future coronavirus threats, Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, is developing a pan-coronavirus vaccine that would protect against all coronaviruses. He hopes to move into human trials next year, he said.
What to Know About Omicron Subvariant BA.2
Omicron subvariant BA.2 has now gained a foothold across the United States, accounting for one-third of new cases nationwide, and more than half of cases in New England as of Saturday, the CDC said. Frederic D. Bushman, PhD, chair of Microbiology and co-director of the Penn Center for Research on Coronavirus and Other Emerging Pathogens, said that BA.2 might cause less disease here than it did in Europe, as the United States saw many more infections in the first wave of omicron.
The FDA Approves a Second Booster Shot for Adults 50 and Older
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, joined “Good Day Philadelphia” to discuss the newly authorized second booster COVID-19 vaccine and the new omicron subvariant BA.2.
Scientists Test Common Bacteria as a Weapon to Target Pancreatic Tumors
According to a new study, Listeria bacteria was used to develop an immunotherapy to make pancreatic tumors vulnerable to immune attacks, and showed a 40 percent improvement in patient survival. Pancreatic cancer cells have few unique markers that help the immune system distinguish it from normal, healthy cells. Gregory L. Beatty, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Hematology-Oncology, who was not involved with the study, said, “Pancreas cancer is invisible to the immune system and using Listeria to implant a tetanus protein on cancer cells is a unique strategy.”
Pfizer CEO Pushes Yearly Shots for COVID-19. Not So Fast, Experts Say.
On March 15, Pfizer shared it was seeking authorization of a second booster for people 65 and older, and Moderna on March 17 filed for a second booster shot for all adults — creating pressure for politicians and their scientific advisers to act. E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, was quoted.
The Incredible Story of Emily Whitehead & CAR T-Cell Therapy
Ten years ago, then 6-year-old patient Emily Whitehead was treated for cancer by a collaborative medical team at Penn and CHOP with Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, becoming the first child to get the personalized cell therapy. Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, said, “We now have trials using different cell types, like natural killer cells, monocytes, and stem cells. An entirely new field has opened because of our initial success. This is going to continue for a long time, making more potent cells that cover all kinds of cancer.”
CAR T-Cell Therapy Shows ‘Limited Success’ in Solid Tumors, But ‘Incremental Changes’ Still Being Made
Steven M. Albelda, MD, the William Maul Measey Professor of Medicine, discussed the introduction of chimeric antigen receptor T cells in solid tumor research and how it differs from what has been observed in hematologic malignancies.
Omicron Subvariant Could Become Dominant Strain in US
Health officials are keeping a close eye on the omicron subvariant that is behind a COVID-19 surge in parts of Europe and Asia. E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, is quoted.
COVID-19’s ‘Silver Lining’: Research Breakthroughs for Chronic Disease, Cancer, and the Common Flu
The billions of dollars invested in COVID-19 vaccines and research so far are expected to yield medical and scientific dividends for decades, helping doctors battle influenza, cancer, cystic fibrosis, and far more diseases. E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, was quoted, discussing research from the pandemic which represented a paradigm shift in immunology.
Our Antibodies Can Tell Us About Future COVID-19 Surges
While the coronavirus is tracked to see how it changes over time, experts discuss monitoring immunity too. Monitoring the status of our anti-disease protection would amount to a kind of immune surveillance that could tell us “when immunity wanes, and when it needs to be augmented,” explained E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology.
Pfizer and BioNTech Seek Authorization of a Second Booster Shot for Older Americans
New research from Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, published in Cell Reports, found that the mRNA vaccine platform can work to prevent HIV. Because the virus mutates quickly, it can be difficult to create a vaccine for it. Weissman and colleagues determined how to stabilize the rapidly changing envelope of the virus and then make antibodies.
The Long-Term Effects of CAR-T Cell Therapy
There are patients who remain in remission beyond 10 years after first receiving CAR-T cell therapy, according to a study published in Nature. David Porter, MD, the Jodi Fisher Horowitz Professor in Leukemia Care Excellence and director of Cell Therapy and Transplantation, said, “We were able to collect T-cells from their blood 10 years after their first treatment to understand their characteristics and activity. The hope is that if we understand what kind of cells survive and continue to function, we will better understand how this therapy works, and then will be able to design even better, more effective therapies for future use.”
Remembering the COVID-19 Shutdown in Philadelphia Two Years Later
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, joined “Good Day Philadelphia” to discuss the pandemic since COVID-19 shut down Philadelphia two years ago and the latest with omicron’s subvariant.
COVID-19 Vaccine’s mRNA Technology Also Works for HIV Vaccine
New research from Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, published in Cell Reports, found that the mRNA vaccine platform can work to prevent HIV. Because the virus mutates quickly, it can be difficult to create a vaccine for it. Weissman and colleagues determined how to stabilize the rapidly changing envelope of the virus and then make antibodies.
How Do We Get to the Pandemic’s ‘Next Normal’?
Fifty-three of the world’s top epidemiologists, pharmacologists, virologists, immunologists, and policy experts came together to map out strategies for living with COVID-19, under the leadership of Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, vice provost for Global Initiatives. “It’s really about getting to what we’re calling the next normal,” explained one of the roadmap’s experts E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology.
Genome Refolding Contributes to Cancer Therapy Resistance
In T-cell leukemia, an epigenetic adaptation could be a key factor in disease relapse. While gene mutations can lead to drug resistance, Penn researchers have identified an important, non-genetic adaptation that could also drive resistance to targeted therapy in T cell leukemia, a type of blood cell cancer. Their findings were published in Molecular Cell. “Genome folding controls where the genes are in the space of the cell and is important for proper control of gene activity,” said R. Babak Faryabi, PhD, an assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He led the study with Yeqiao Zhou, a Genetics and Epigenetics graduate student.
How Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó Developed the mRNA Technology Inside COVID Vaccines
Bostonia, Boston University’s alumni magazine, profiled their alumnus Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research, and his long-time collaborator, Katalin Karikó, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery. Both researchers’ decades of research into mRNA gave way to an effective mRNA vaccine platform that was used in Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna’s respective vaccines. “It (the vaccine platform) really is exciting. It’s limitless.”
The Coronavirus’s Next Move
Even if COVID-19 remakes itself many times, its offense will still knock up against some multilayered defenses. Slipping out of the grasp of antibodies isn’t that hard, but “just statistically speaking, I don’t think it’s possible to escape T-cell immunity,” explained E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, a contributor to a recent report that modeled various scenarios for the future with COVID-19.
The Future of mRNA Vaccines
Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research, discussed the many ways mRNA vaccines are being studied by him and colleagues and the conditions scientists think may be prevented in the future thanks to this unique vaccine platform. “There are hundreds and hundreds of diseases for which mRNA could be useful,” said Weissman.
Experts Present Roadmap for the Next Phase of Living with COVID-19
A new report released Monday charts a path for the transition out of the COVID-19 pandemic, one that outlines both how the country can deal with the challenge of endemic COVID disease and how to prepare for future biosecurity threats. The roadmap was authored with input from Penn Medicine experts, including Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, vice provost for global initiatives, and E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology.
Experts Create a Roadmap to Get from the COVID-19 Pandemic to the ‘Next Normal’
A new report released Monday charts a path for the transition out of the COVID-19 pandemic, one that outlines both how the country can deal with the challenge of endemic COVID-19 disease and how to prepare for future biosecurity threats. The roadmap was authored with input from Penn Medicine experts, including Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, vice provost for Global Initiatives, and E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology.
Messenger RNA Therapies Are Finally Fulfilling Their Promise
“mRNA therapeutics could revolutionize treatment of many infectious diseases in developing countries, greatly improving health-care equity,” wrote Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research. He described the value of mRNA technology, what the vaccine landscape may look like in the coming years, and all the conditions and diseases that may be prevented thanks to the novel vaccine platform.
March 2022
Group of Physicians Combats Misinformation as Unproven COVID-19 Treatments Continue to be Prescribed
David C. Fajgenbaum, MD, an assistant professor of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics and director of the Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory, said that the positive outcomes cited by proponents of ivermectin can’t be credited to ivermectin. “In a disease like COVID-19, where the large majority of people — whether they receive a treatment or not — will improve, just giving someone a drug and then improving doesn’t mean that the drug made them improve,” he said.
Limited Success of CAR T Cells in Solid Tumors
Steven M. Albelda, MD, the William Maul Measey Professor of Medicine, discussed CAR T-cell therapy in the solid tumor space, which he presented on during the 26th Annual International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies. He said, “CAR T cells will suffer from tumor heterogeneity, where some tumor cells expressed the targeted antigen and some don’t.” It’s less of an issue with B-cell leukemias and lymphomas, but “it’s a much bigger problem with solid tumors because there’s much more heterogeneity that there’s hardly ever a tumor where 100 percent of the cells would express the target antigen.“
The 2022 Power 100: Meet the Business Leaders Shaping Greater Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Business Journal released its annual "Power 100" list, and some of Penn Medicine’s foremost innovators are included. UPHS CEO Kevin Mahoney, Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, and Jim Wilson, MD, PhD, the Rose H. Weiss Professor and Director, Orphan Disease Center and the director of the Gene Therapy Program, are featured among other prominent Philadelphians.
First Patients to Receive Immunotherapy Treatment Are Still Cancer-Free a Decade Later
Doug Olson bravely joined a revolutionary clinical trial more than 10 years ago that would put him into remission from CLL. Thanks to Penn pioneering technology called Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, he not only celebrates turning 75, but also the victory of science and innovation led by J. Joseph Melenhorst, PhD, a research professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies; and David Porter, MD, the Jodi Fisher Horowitz Professor in Leukemia Care Excellence and director of Cell Therapy and Transplantation at the Abramson Cancer Center.
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Penn Study Uncovers How Pancreatic Cells Reprogram Themselves to Limit the Immune Response in Patients at Risk for Type 1 Diabetes
“The first events that occur in a patient heading towards Type 1 Diabetes, the events that trigger autoimmunity, have been difficult for researchers to pin down because of our inability to biopsy the pancreas, and the fact that clinical diagnosis is only made once massive beta cell destruction has occurred,” said senior author Golnaz Vahedi, PhD, an associate professor of Genetics and member of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Scientist Weissman Working on Universal Coronavirus Vaccine
Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research, is developing a pan-coronavirus vaccine which would protect against all known coronaviruses, like COVID-19. “The variants are going to keep coming as long as there is widespread infection,” said Weissman. “We have only vaccinated 15 percent of Africa, and immunized low levels of many countries in the world. Until the world is fully vaccinated, the variants are going to keep coming.”
Programming Algorithms Against Bacteria
Infectious bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. But César de la Fuente, PhD, a Presidential Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, Microbiology, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Bioengineering, is driving innovative research using artificial intelligence to find new antibiotics. These new computer-generated antibiotics are based on entirely new molecules and may be more effective at fighting resistant bacteria.
Oldest Human DNA From Africa Reveals Complex Migrations
A new analysis of ancient DNA from six individuals from southeastern Africa offers a glimpse of the lives of people who occupied the continent between 18,000 and 5,000 years ago, leading to new theories on how populations comingled. Sarah Tishkoff, PhD, the David and Lyn Silfen University Professor in Genetics and Biology, said while the genomes are a welcome addition to the sparse record of ancient DNA on the continent, she’s not swayed by the team’s ideas about what happened before 20,000 years ago. “There’s a lot of assumptions in that analysis,” she said, and it’s not clear to her that the authors considered alternative explanations.
Got a COVID-19 Booster? You Probably Won’t Need Another for a Long Time
A flurry of new studies suggest that several parts of the immune system can mount a sustained, potent response to coronavirus variants. Three doses of a vaccine — or even just two — are enough to protect most people from serious illness and death for a long time, the studies suggest. “We’re starting to see now diminishing returns on the number of additional doses,” said E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology. Although people over 65 or at high risk of illness may benefit from a fourth vaccine dose, it may be unnecessary for most people, he added.
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Verismo Enters Research Agreement With Penn
Verismo, the Philadelphia cell therapy company that spun out of Penn two years ago, signed a translational research services agreement with Penn that includes a manufacturing partnership with Penn’s Center for Advanced Retinal & Ocular Therapeutics. The company was co-founded by Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Donald Siegel, MD, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; and Verismo CEO Bryan Kim. The agreement will support the clinical development of Verismo’s first new drug candidate, SynKIR-100, a cell therapy under development to treat late-stage ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.
Penn Medicine Doctors Say Treatment Appears to Have Cured Patients’ Blood Cancer
David Porter, MD, the Jodi Fisher Horowitz Professor in Leukemia Care Excellence and director of Cell Therapy and Transplantation at the Abramson Cancer Center, discussed Penn’s revolutionary clinical trial on CAR T cell therapy, showing that the CAR T cells remained detectable at least a decade after infusion to treat cancer. Doug Olson, one of the first two patients treated in the trial for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, said he considers himself to be cured. Porter is looking to advance the study and provide the treatment sooner to more patients.
How Can We Tweak the Vaccines?
The vaccine boosters made by Pfizer and Moderna provide strong protection against serious illness from COVID-19 and hospitalization. But their protection does wane over time, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published earlier this month. E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, spoke about the study and its implications.
COVID-19: New Combination of Antivirals May be an Effective Treatment
Penn Medicine researchers have identified a combination of antiviral drugs they believe to be effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus: The combination includes the experimental drug brequinar with either the approved drug remdesivir or the approved drug molnupiravir. “Synergy is difficult to find, and our discovery may lead to the use of these combinations in treatments,” said the study’s lead author Sara Cherry, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
Wharton Moneyball with E. John Wherry
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, joined the “Wharton Moneyball” podcast show to discuss the latest around COVID-19, vaccines, and decision making.
The Cells That Can Give You Super-immunity
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, was quoted discussing the growing understanding of B cells, which through lessons from COVID-19 could also yield benefits in the realm of cancer immunotherapy.
Study of Penn Patients with Decade-Long Leukemia Remissions Reveals New Details About Persistence of CAR T Cells
A new analysis of the first two patients treated in a clinical trial at the Abramson Cancer Center with CAR T cell therapy explains the longest persistence of CAR T cells recorded to date against chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and shows that the CAR T cells remained detectable at least a decade after infusion, with sustained remission in both patients. The study was led by J. Joseph Melenhorst, PhD, a research professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies; and David Porter, MD, the Jodi Fisher Horowitz Professor in Leukemia Care Excellence and director of Cell Therapy and Transplantation.
Antiviral Combination Highly Effective Against SARS-CoV-2
Combining the drug brequniar with remdesivir or molnupiravir—both approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use—inhibited the SARS-CoV-2 virus in human respiratory cells and in mice, according to a new study led by Sara Cherry, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. “Identifying combinations of antivirals is really important, not only because doing so may increase the drugs’ potency against the coronavirus, but combining drugs also reduces the risk of resistance,” Cherry said.
Developing an Approach to Predict Which COVID Strains Appear in Breakthrough Infections
Frederic D. Bushman, PhD, chair of Microbiology and co-director of the Center for Research on Coronavirus and Other Emerging Pathogens, and his team have been sequencing viral variance in positive COVID samples across the Delaware Valley, including variants that have infected people who are vaccinated. His team sequenced and analyzed complete viral genomes from 2,621 surveillance samples from March 2020 to September 2021 and compared them to genome sequences from 159 samples from vaccinated people with breakthrough infections. Using this data, the researchers devised a model to determine which variants showed up more in breakthrough infections. This revealed that three lineages of the delta variant showed three-fold enrichment in vaccine breakthrough cases. The statistical approach they developed can be used in the future to predict breakthrough-prone variants.
Omicron and the Vaccines: Your Questions Answered
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, spoke with AAMC News about what happens when someone who is vaccinated gets COVID-19. “No vaccines prevent any and all infection,” Wherry said. The good news is that vaccinated people who become infected and recover may have the best immunity against future infection.
Cancer Patients Treated With Gene Therapy in Remission for 10 Years
“Science Friday” interviewed Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, on data published in Nature on the first two patients with CLL treated in a clinical trial with CAR T cell therapy. He said that saying the word “cure” does not come easily, but in this case, researchers really mean it. This research, using a patient’s own killer T cells, reengineered in the lab, and then put back in the patient, just one time, shows promise for patients with liquid tumors including leukemia and lymphoma benefitting from this immunotherapy approach.
Two May be Better than One Drug to Treat COVID-19, University of Pennsylvania and University of Maryland Study Finds
Drug combinations, rather than any single antiviral medication, may be the key to effective treatment of COVID-19, new research led by Sara Cherry, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, suggests. The study found that when an experimental drug called brequinar was given with either of two medications that already had federal authorization — remdesivir or molnupiravir — it inhibited the growth of the virus in human lung cells and in mice.
Vaccine Scientists Have Been Chasing Variants. Now, They’re Seeking a Universal COVID-19 Vaccine.
Scientists are seeking to develop pan-coronavirus vaccines — vaccines that would offer protection from all coronaviruses including COVID-19, SARS, MERS, and more. Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research, and colleagues at Penn are currently working to develop this vaccine, which would be the first of its kind.
Penn Medicine Performs Five Liver Transplants in Less Than 24 Hours
With donor organs in short supply, it’s a blessing to have transplant teams that can rally to transplant the organs when they’re available — even when they are available all at once. Recently, Penn Medicine completed five liver transplants in an epic 24 hours, performing four at HUP and one at CHOP. “There is always a time limitation with transplant, but we were able to juggle it. It was really rewarding. It brought our teams together to work at their peak capacity,” said Peter Abt, MD, a professor of Surgery and the surgical director of Liver Transplant.
COVID-19 Booster Enhances Protection, Contrary to ‘Immune Fatigue’ Claims
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, spoke with FactCheck.org about the benefits of booster shots, after comedian Bill Maher incorrectly said COVID-19 boosters were “useless” and could cause “immune system fatigue.” Data show that people who have received booster shots are less likely to be infected with the coronavirus, even against the now-pervasive omicron variant. And there is no evidence that COVID-19 boosting can exhaust the immune system.
Does Exposure to Omicron Help Our Immunity, Even If We Don’t Get Sick?
If you’ve been dodging COVID-19, you might think your immune system is superhuman or you’re even immune to getting the coronavirus. But that’s not the case. If you’ve been wearing masks or social distancing, that’s providing protection, explained E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology. Even if you live with someone who is infected, your precautions might mean you aren’t exposed to a large enough dose of virus to cause an infection.
Repairing Cardiac Fibrosis with RNA is the Future
Researchers at Penn published a new study in the journal Science showing that a new type of mRNA injection can spur the body to make CAR T cells, which may be able to repair heart damage and that have already been used to treat cancer. Jonathan Epstein, MD, chief scientific officer for Penn Medicine and the William Wikoff Smith Professor of Cardiovascular Research in the Perelman School of Medicine, led the research together with Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor of Vaccine Research, and colleagues.
WHYY “Radio Times” Speaks with CAR T Cell Therapy Pioneer
Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, spoke about data published in Nature on the first two patients treated in a clinical trial with CAR T cell therapy. He explained how it was the longest persistence of CAR T cells recorded to date against chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and that the CAR T cells remained detectable at least a decade after infusion, with sustained remission in both patients. June also touched on the Cancer Moonshot program re-launched this month by President Biden with a goal to cut the cancer death rate in half in 25 years.
Genetic Risk Factors for Testicular Cancer
Heredity may play a role in a testicular cancer diagnosis, which impacts 1 in 150 men. Katherine Nathanson, MD, the Pearl Basser Professor for BRCA-Related Research at the Abramson Cancer Center, explained that “it’s been well established that there is a very high relative/genetic risk for men who have had a sibling or father with testicular cancer,” she said. “The relative risk for testicular cancer is higher than any other cancer type.”
Can the Technology Behind COVID-19 Vaccines Cure Other Diseases?
In an article about the potential of mRNA vaccines, Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research, said vaccine potential is “limitless.” “We’re making vaccines against viruses, bacteria, pathogens, parasites, cancer, allergic diseases, autoimmune diseases. The list goes on and on,” he said.
First Patients to Receive Immunotherapy Treatment Are Still Cancer-Free a Decade Later
Doug Olson bravely joined a revolutionary clinical trial more than 10 years ago that would put him into remission from CLL. Thanks to Penn pioneering technology called Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, he not only celebrates turning 75, but also the victory of science and innovation led by J. Joseph Melenhorst, PhD, a research professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies; and David Porter, MD, the Jodi Fisher Horowitz Professor in Leukemia Care Excellence and director of Cell Therapy and Transplantation at the Abramson Cancer Center.
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‘Genome Valley Excellence Award 2022’ Goes to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Scientist Drew Weissman
Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research, was awarded the 2022 Genome Valley Excellence Award which comes from the Indian government and the Federation of Asian Biotech Associations.
What the Omicron Wave Is Revealing About Human Immunity
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, and Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, were quoted in a Nature article discussing the wealth of insights yielded by recent research into SARS-CoV-2. “We are just at the beginning of a wave of discovery,” Wherry said.
False Claim Spreads About Japanese Ivermectin Study, Despite Correction
Social media users are sharing false information about a Japanese company’s research into using ivermectin to treat COVID-19, after a news agency published an erroneous headline that it soon corrected. David C. Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, an assistant professor of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics and director of the Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory, directs a database tracking research into treatments for COVID-19, and said that there have been 25 randomized controlled trials — a gold-standard for research — studying ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19. The trials have collectively involved more than 2,000 patients, he said, and the results have been mixed.
Should We Go All In on Omicron Vaccines?
While omicron-specific vaccines are in the works, experts have warned against trashing the original-recipe shots too soon, as we don’t know what the next major variant will look like. However, there is reason enough to avoid boosting in perpetuity with the original recipe. For the next round of COVID-19 shots, whenever they might be necessary, we may be better off using something else — an “insurance policy,” explained Rishi Goel, a PSOM student and research fellow at the lab of E. John Wherry, PhD, to help the body broaden its coronavirus scope.
Omicron Subvariant of COVID-19 Emerges in U.S.
Ominously nicknamed the “stealth variant,” the latest COVID-19 viral version arrives in the United States with the usual uncertainty that accompanies every iteration of the virus. Frederic D. Bushman, PhD, chair of Microbiology and co-director of the Penn Center for Research on Coronavirus and Other Emerging Pathogens, thinks the subvariant won’t be very disruptive. “I think from what I’ve been seeing there’s not much reason to think there will be a big change,” he said. “Again, it’s early days and I could change my tune tomorrow.”
Biden Relaunches His ‘Moonshot’ Initiative to End Cancer
Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, discussed the progress the field of oncology has made in Philadelphia and around the country with emphasis on the cancer “moonshot” program, which began at Penn six years ago. This week President Biden relaunched the program with the goal to cut the cancer death rate in half in 25 years. Vonderheide said, “The most palpable impact to date has been the explosion of new therapies using cell and gene therapy.”
Pair of Decade-Long CAR-T Remissions Spark Talk of ‘Cure’
In new research published this week in Nature, “We can now conclude that CAR T cells can actually cure patients,” said Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies. Treatment with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy resulted in remissions of more than 10 years in two chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients — responses that the investigators said exceeded their “wildest expectations.”
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Is an Omicron Infection as Good as a Booster? What the Science Says About ‘Hybrid’ Immunity.
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, spoke with the Philadelphia Inquirer about those who had omicron and what they should do about booster shots. Wherry discussed why people should never get infected on purpose, the immune system’s response to the vaccine, and how long to wait before getting a booster.
Two Patients Declared 'Cured' of Leukemia, a Decade After Innovative Treatment That Has Transformed Blood Cancer Care
A new analysis of the first two patients treated in a clinical trial with CAR T cell therapy explains the longest persistence of CAR T cells recorded to date against chronic lymphocytic leukemia and shows that the CAR T cells remained detectable at least a decade after infusion, with sustained remission in both patients. The study, published in Nature, was led by J. Joseph Melenhorst, PhD, a research professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies; and David Porter, MD, the Jodi Fisher Horowitz Professor in Leukemia Care Excellence and director of Cell Therapy and Transplantation at the Abramson Cancer Center. The faculty joined patient Doug Olson in a Nature media briefing this week to outline their findings.
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As Omicron Wanes in NJ, Here’s Where Experts Think the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Headed Next
The general consensus emerging from health experts is that COVID-19 will not be eradicated any time soon because it has infected so many people around the world, which increases its chances of mutating into powerful new variants. It will have to be managed similarly to influenza. Frederic D. Bushman, PhD, chair of Microbiology and co-director of the Penn Center for Research on Coronavirus and Other Emerging Pathogens, told USA Today Network New Jersey that he expects a lull in COVID-19 activity soon that may well carry the region into the fall. But he is also concerned about a “continual progression” of new COVID-19 variants. “It’s hard to see how you could erase the virus at this point,” said Bushman. “With so much of it in the world, it’s inevitable that there will be the creation and spread of more transmissible mutations.”
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Feb 2022
Fact Check: Omicron Variant Isn’t More Likely to Infect Vaccinated
After a newsletter claimed the COVID-19 vaccine caused more COVID-19 infections, USA Today talked to medical experts who debunked the claim. Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor for Vaccine Research, said that research “shows protection from omicron both for mild and severe disease.”
Omicron Is Fading. What Does the Future of COVID-19 Look Like?
In this article about this wave of the omicron variant, Susan Weiss, PhD, a professor of Microbiology and co-director of the Penn Center for Research on Coronavirus and Other Emerging Pathogens, explained how the enzymes that replicate viruses are not perfect, so when it makes reproductions, mutations occur. When a mutation gives the new version of the virus an advantage over earlier variants, natural selection makes it more likely it will become the dominant variant.
UK Report Did Not Find COVID-19 Vaccines Damage Immune Response
A video clip from a panel discussion on COVID-19 Monday is spreading on social media, misrepresenting what a report by U.K. health officials found. Multiple experts including E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, disputed the claim in the video that vaccines were doing damage. “It actually shows the vaccines are working to limit infection,” Wherry explained.
Two Studies Show Omicron’s Immune-Evasive Power, Role of Boosters
Sara Cherry, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, commented on two new studies further demonstrating the ability of the omicron variant to evade vaccine- or infection-induced immunity. “These papers suggest that one correlate of protection, neutralizing antibodies, are low upon the standard vaccination schemes, but that a booster can significantly increase the levels of neutralizing antibodies to omicron,” she said.
Vaccines Provide Best Protection From COVID-19
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, discussed the latest on COVID-19, the omicron variant, and new research which concludes getting the vaccine is still the safest way to prevent COVID-19. “The bottom line message is that from symptomatic COVID-19 infection you do generate some immunity. But it’s still much safer to get your immunity from vaccination than from infection,” Wherry said.
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Will Omicron Leave Most of Us Immune?
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, spoke with The Atlantic about collective immunity, which is key to ending a pandemic. But its building blocks start with each individual. Allowing for shades of gray, a person’s current immune status hinges on “the number of exposures [to the spike protein], and time since last exposure,” Wherry said.
After Omicron, We Could Use a Break. We May Just Get It
Some experts think we may get a bit of a break from the COVID-19 roller coaster after omicron. Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, believes omicron is the final wave of the pandemic. “None of us think the virus is going to go away, but the virus will have less opportunity to change because there will be fewer hosts that it can replicate in,” said Hensley. “And in an immune population, due to immunity, disease severity will be less.”
Yes, You Can Catch the Flu and COVID-19. No, ‘Flurona’ Isn’t Real.
Susan Weiss, PhD, a professor of Microbiology and co-director of the Penn Center for Research on Coronavirus and Other Emerging Pathogens, commented on the potential in developing therapeutics that use defective versions of viruses to prompt innate immune responses in relation to treating COVID-19. “I’m not sure what practical application this would have as an antiviral,” she said.
Why Scientists Are Racing to Develop More COVID-19 Antivirals
The approval of two oral antiviral treatments — molnupiravir and Paxlovid — show promise to reduce the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, according to Sara Cherry, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. As these pills slowly make their way into pharmacies worldwide, researchers are already looking ahead to the drugs that could supersede them. Cherry and her research team are currently screening 20,000 compounds to test their efficacy against the coronavirus.
What Happens After Omicron? Four Key Questions About Where the Pandemic Goes Next
The omicron variant’s worldwide surge has upended early hopes for returns to normalcy and points to a more uncertain future for the pandemic, some experts say. “We are going to have a tremendous number of deaths among the unvaccinated,” said E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology. “And we’re going to have — even if we manage to eke our way through this — the scar tissue in the health system, which is going to last for a long time and is not going to be something that recovers when infection rates go down.”
The Importance of Diversity in Immunology
The January 15, 2022, special issue of The Journal of Immunology showcases a collection of Brief Reviews, including a broad spectrum of immunology topics as well as author autobiographies, and it celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion. De’Broski R. Herbert, Ph.D. (AAI ’00), and Irene Salinas, Ph.D. (AAI ’17), took on the roles of guest editors for this unique project.
This Year’s Flu Shot Effectiveness in Question
Some health experts are saying that this year’s flu shot is poorly matched to the strain that is circulating. For the flu shot, though it may contain one mismatched strain, it may still do its job. “Influenza vaccination is the best protection against severe disease and illness,” said Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, to NBC in a quote used by The Hill. “Even in these years of mismatch, we see high effectiveness against hospitalizations and severe disease.”
How Should We Be Using At-home Rapid Tests for Omicron?
E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, spoke with WHYY about rapid antigen tests and how they can used as a means of reducing omicron’s spread. “None of our measures of protecting ourselves or prevention are perfect,” said Wherry. “Vaccines aren’t perfect. Masks aren’t perfect. Tests aren’t perfect. But when used in combinations and in layers, we can dramatically reduce risk.”
mRNA Technology: Vaccine Biotech Has Helped Repair Broken Hearts in Mice
Researchers at Penn published a new study, featured on the cover of the journal Science, showing that a new type of mRNA injection can spur the body to make CAR-T cells — cells that may be able to repair heart damage and that have already been used to treat cancer. The research was led by Jonathan Epstein, MD, the chief scientific officer for Penn Medicine and executive vice dean and the William Wikoff Smith Professor of Cardiovascular Research in the Perelman School of Medicine, as well as Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research.
‘Flurona’ — COVID-19 and Flu at the Same Time — Cases Are Rising. Here’s What You Need To Know
A less effective flu vaccine and the surging omicron COVID-19 variant have led to a nasty combination of viruses this season. “From our lab-based studies it looks like a major mismatch,” said Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, of this year’s flu shot, in an interview with CNN last month, quoted by CNET.
‘Flurona’ Is Real, But Don’t Panic — it’s Common to Get Two Viruses at Once
The phenomenon of “coinfection” with influenza and the coronavirus is real and, to those in the medical community, not the least bit surprising. Sara Cherry, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, was interviewed about the coinfection, how common it is, and what will happen if you get sick. If the person is lucky, the immune response to the first invader could help protect against the second, Cherry said.
Gut Microbiota Tuning Data Presented at ASH 2021
Marco Ruella, MD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology, interviewed with Oncology Tube on data presented at ASH 2021 on gut microbiota tuning and how it promotes tumor-associated antigen cross presentation and enhances CAR T antitumor effects. He also spoke on research about intestinal microbiota and how it correlates with response and toxicity after CAR T-cell therapy in patients with B-Cell malignancies.
Will ‘Forever Boosting’ Beat the Coronavirus?
Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, provided expert opinion for a New York Timesarticle discussing what is feasible regarding booster shots with no end in sight for the pandemic. If the coronavirus settles into a flulike seasonal pattern, as it seems possible, “you can imagine a scenario where we simply give boosters before the winter each year,” Hensley said.
Penn Awarded $14M NIH Grant for Organ Transplantation With CAR T-Cell Therapy
The NIH awarded Penn a $14 million grant to study organ transplantation with CAR T-cells in patients with end-stage renal disease who are on the waitlist for a kidney transplant. The grant will support the launch of a clinical trial by Penn researchers including Vijay Bhoj, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Ali Naji, MD, PhD, a professor of Surgical Research, and the principal investigator of the study. Naji said, “We’re committed to discovering an approach to help these currently transplant-ineligible end-stage renal disease patients find a path forward to an organ match."
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Philly Siblings Emphasize the Benefits of Living-donor Kidney Transplants
Two Philadelphia siblings celebrated Christmas together after sharing a special gift this year — a kidney that Alli Maurer donated to her brother, Chris. Robert R. Redfield III, MD, surgical director of the Living Donor Kidney Transplant Program, and Matthew Levine, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Transplant Surgery, performed the surgeries. “If there are multiple potential donors, then the next step is to see who is the best blood type and antigen match,” Levine said. “If a recipient has strong antibodies against a donor’s human leukocyte antigens, the risk of rejection is high and a donor would be declined for that recipient.”
Expert Discusses Best Time to Use a COVID-19 Home Test Kit
Over the holidays, Americans flocked to stores to try to find at home COVID-19 tests kits. E. John Wherry, PhD, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology, recommended that if you’re using the home test as a precaution ahead of a gathering, test 6-12 hours before the event. “That’s going to make sure that when you’re with other people you’re at a low risk for transmitting.”
Is a Second Vaccine Booster in Our Future?
WHYY interviewed Frederic D. Bushman, PhD, chair of Microbiology and co-director of the Penn Center for Research on Coronaviruses and Other Emerging Pathogens, for a story that answered a number of questions regarding booster shots. “Again, with the new variants, sometimes it is still possible to get infected even if you’re vaccinated, but the consequences are much, much, much less bad,” Bushman said. “Your chances of death are greatly, greatly reduced, so you’re much better off getting vaccinated and boosted. So do so as early as you can.”
COVID-19 Cases Surge Once Again
Philadelphia is dealing with an upsurge of COVID-19 cases due to recent holiday-related gatherings and the omicron variant. NBC10 discussed how COVID-19 is currently affecting the city with insight from Frederic D. Bushman, PhD, chair of Microbiology and co-director of the Penn Center for Research on Coronaviruses and Other Emerging Pathogens.
How Drew Weissman’s Life’s Work Led to COVID-19 Vaccines
Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor of Vaccine Research who developed foundational mRNA vaccine technology used in the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, spoke to KYW Newsradio about the unique vaccine and his research focus now. Weissman and colleagues are developing a pan-coronavirus vaccine that would prevent all types of coronaviruses and are collaborating with researchers and clinicians around the world to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are accessible to everyone.
Groundbreaking mRNA Scientist: COVID-19 Antiviral Pills Are ‘Game Changers’
The best strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and COVID-19 variants is through the creation of a pan-coronavirus vaccine that could prevent any and all coronaviruses, said Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor of Vaccine Research and an mRNA research leader. While some vaccine manufacturers are working on updates to current COVID-19 vaccines to protect specific variants, Weissman said this strategy would require ongoing and perpetual updates whereas an all-encompassing coronavirus vaccine could cover all COVID-19 variants and may prevent future coronavirus epidemics and pandemics.
Jan 2022
Studies Suggest Why Omicron Is Less Severe: It Spares the Lungs
The New York Times reports on research that suggests omicron is easier on lungs than other versions of COVID-19, which may be why the variant causes a “milder” form of the disease. Sara Cherry, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, explained that although the research addresses the severity of symptoms, it does not give any indication on the transmissibility of the variant. “It could be as simple as, this is a lot more virus in people’s saliva and nasal passages,” she said.