The advent of immunotherapy changed the way cancer drugs have been developed.  Scientists engineered patients’ own immune systems to recognize and attack diseased cells.  CAR T cell therapy is one of the best examples of this type of therapy and was invented by Carl June, MD, the Richard Vague Professor of Immunotherapy at the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania. This therapy works by collecting cells from a patient and modifying them in the lab to destroy cancerous cells so that they can then be reinfused into the patient.  Dr. June’s research led to the first FDA approval for this type of therapy.

There are 6 different CAR T cell therapies now approved to treat different types of blood cancers.  This therapy could potentially help millions of other people by translating it to other conditions.  In early-stage clinical trials, this therapy is showing that it could also help treat solid tumor cancer types, not just blood cancers, and other diseases beyond cancer.  Madlyn and Leonard Abramson supported Dr. June’s research for many years leading up to the FDA approval.  Madlyn and her daughter Nancy Abramson Wolfson started Philly Fights Cancer in order to help raise money and awareness so that other pioneers like Carl June can continue to the fight to cure cancer.