News

Four Faculty Members in the School of Engineering & Applied Science Appointed to Endowed Chairs

Michael J. Mitchell has been appointed the inaugural Hibbert Professor in the department of bioengineering. The appointment recognizes his leadership in genetic medicine, biomaterials and drug delivery.

Dr. Mitchell’s laboratory engineers lipid nanoparticles and related biomaterials to deliver RNA- and DNA-based therapeutics safely and effectively. His group works to overcome biological barriers that limit the delivery of genetic medicines and develops platforms with applications in cancer immunotherapy, vaccines, genome editing, autoimmune disease, infectious disease, and fetal and maternal therapeutics.

Dr. Mitchell earned a BE in biomedical engineering and an ME in materials science and engineering…

Penn helped test a promising mRNA melanoma vaccine. Here’s what the trial means for the field.

In August, the drug companies Merck and Moderna announced a successful late-stage trial for a personalized mRNA vaccine designed to help prevent the return and spread of melanoma. “It’s the deadliest form of skin cancer because it can metastasize,” said Ravi K. Amaravadi, MD, a professor of Hematology-Oncology, scientific director of the Tara Miller Melanoma Center, and the site lead for the study at the Abramson Cancer Center. “We are now able to train the immune system to look for the tumor, arguably for the first time, in the most effective way,” he said.…

mRNA cancer vaccine prevents melanoma recurrence

A New Personalized Cancer Vaccine Could Keep Skin Cancer From Coming Back, Drugmakers Say

The results, announced this week by Moderna and Merck, could pave the way for a new generation of treatments tailored to individual tumors

A personalized cancer vaccine, used in combination with an existing treatment, helped prevent the return and spread of melanoma in a late-stage clinical trial, Moderna and Merck, the companies developing the drug, announced this week. The results bring the vaccine, called intismeran, one step closer to regulatory approval and potentially wider use.

Read more at Smithsonian Magazine

mRNA Cancer Vaccines Show Promise But Are Dogged by Misinformation

mRNA-based cancer vaccine research is at a pivotal stage, with early findings suggesting these vaccines can generate long-lived T-cell responses and might help overcome resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors — and, one day, could even open the door to universal cancer vaccines.

Explore further at Cancer Therapy Advisor

New mRNA vaccine platform could expand global vaccine access

A Penn Medicine-created vaccine platform with a one-component nanoparticle could allow mRNA vaccines to reach more people worldwide.

Read more at PennMedicine

Helper molecules act as ‘chaperones’ to protect brain cells in fight against ALS and frontal lobe dementia

Specialized RNA molecules prevent a disease-linked protein from forming harmful clumps, pointing to new approaches for treating neurodegenerative disease.

Read more on the Texas A&M website

Winner of mRNA Nobel Prize says ACIP member’s claim that Covid vaccines persist is ‘absolutely impossible’

In Q&A, Drew Weissman says vast literature shows Covid shots are safe, refutes claims from Retsef Levi.

On Thursday and Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a key panel that gives the CDC’s director guidance about what vaccines to recommend to the public. Continue to read on Stat10.

Pioneering the future of medicine

Penn Medicine’s 250+ year history is marked by a legacy of monumental medical breakthroughs. From pioneering CAR T cell therapies to the discovery of mRNA vaccine technology, we are shaping the future of medicine through groundbreaking research and transformative treatments.

Continue reading on the Penn Medicine site.

Announcing Two New Colton Centers of Excellence to PSOM community

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, the vision of the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn and the broader Colton Consortium is to revolutionize the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of autoimmune disorders, transforming patient lives through collaborative, translational science. One of the ways we do this is by funding and nurturing high-impact Colton Centers of Excellence. These dynamic hubs foster interdisciplinary collaboration and cutting-edge research, accelerating the translation of scientific discoveries into tangible patient benefits.

Today, we are proud to announce the initiation of two new Centers of Excellence. After a rigorous review process, please…