For cancer patients like Ellie Wilson, a trip to the emergency room can feel as frightening as it is necessary. Diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer while already managing ulcerative colitis, Wilson found herself repeatedly turning to the ER for treatment-related complications — all while worrying about exposure to infections in crowded waiting rooms. Her experience reflects a broader challenge faced by oncology patients, who often endure intense side effects such as nausea, fatigue, or blood clots that require immediate attention but not always a full hospital admission. Traditional emergency departments, while essential for true emergencies, are not always the safest or most efficient environment for immunocompromised patients.

To address this gap, cancer centers across Philadelphia have expanded oncology urgent care clinics — specialized units designed to manage treatment side effects quickly, safely, and with deep expertise in cancer care. Facilities like Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center and Temple’s Fox Chase Cancer Center now offer extended or even 24/7 access, helping patients avoid unnecessary ER visits while receiving timely transfusions, monitoring, or symptom relief. As cancer treatments grow more complex — particularly with newer options like immunotherapy — these clinics provide a critical middle ground: fast, targeted care without the risks and delays of the emergency room. At Philly Fights Cancer, we’re proud to support progress that improves the patient experience, eases the burden on families, and helps redefine what compassionate, responsive cancer care looks like in our city. Read the entire article from WHYY here: Urgent care for cancer patients is more accessible in Philadelphia - WHYY

Researchers at Penn Medicine have uncovered a promising new use for CAR T cell therapy, a personalized immunotherapy best known for treating certain cancers. In a preclinical study published in Circulation, investigators demonstrated that experimental CAR T cells could significantly reduce inflammation in arteries, preventing more than two-thirds of plaque buildup associated with atherosclerosis, the most common form of heart disease. By targeting oxidized LDL, a key driver of arterial inflammation, the therapy addresses a fundamental cause of heart attacks and strokes—conditions responsible for millions of deaths worldwide each year. The findings suggest that CAR T technology could one day complement existing cholesterol-lowering treatments, particularly for patients who remain at high risk despite standard care.

This research highlights the power of translational science at Penn Medicine, where advances developed in cancer immunotherapy are being adapted to tackle other major diseases. Led by experts at the Perelman School of Medicine, the study underscores how deep expertise in CAR T cell engineering can open new therapeutic pathways beyond oncology, while still building on the same scientific foundations that have transformed cancer treatment. This spirit of innovation reflects the work supported through Philly Fights Cancer, which raises critical funds to advance the groundbreaking research and clinical trials at the Abramson Cancer Center.

A research team at the University of Pennsylvania has created a groundbreaking “tumor-on-a-chip”—a tiny, transparent device that mimics the complex environment of a human tumor. This innovation gives scientists an unprecedented real-time view of how cancer interacts with the immune system and why solid tumors are so difficult to treat.

While CAR T cell therapy has revolutionized treatment for blood cancers, solid tumors use a protective tumor microenvironment (TME) to block immune cells from getting inside. Using the new chip, Penn researchers discovered that vildagliptin, a drug used for type 2 diabetes, can strengthen the chemical signals that help CAR T cells enter tumors—allowing far more immune cells to break through and attack cancer. This platform also provides a safer, faster way to test new treatment strategies and could reduce reliance on animal models, speeding progress toward more effective immunotherapies.

Breakthroughs like this are possible because of sustained investment in cutting-edge cancer research. Philly Fights Cancer is proud to support the Abramson Cancer Center and the pioneering scientists whose work drives discoveries that bring new hope to patients and families. Click here to read the full article from Penn Today.

At just 28, Brooklyn Olumba faced breast cancer head-on—and turned her diagnosis into a mission to help others.

After her twin sister tested positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation, Brooklyn learned she carried the same mutation that increases the risk for breast and ovarian cancer. That knowledge led her to early screening, where an MRI detected stage 0 breast cancer.

Through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, Brooklyn found strength—and purpose. “When I look at my scars now, I see strength and a version of me that I love,” she said.

Today, she uses her voice to raise awareness about genetic testing and to empower young women of color to talk openly about family health history. “Your family’s history is also your history,” she reminds others.

At Philly Fights Cancer, we’re inspired by survivors like Brooklyn—proof that research saves lives and that knowledge is power. By funding breakthroughs in cancer detection, treatment, and prevention, we can ensure more stories like hers end in hope.

Read more about Brooklyn’s story here: A breast cancer survivor at 28, she’s now a voice of hope | Penn Medicine

In the ongoing fight against cancer, every breakthrough brings new hope—and the latest discovery from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania is doing just that. A new study has found that simple genetic testing before chemotherapy can dramatically reduce dangerous side effects for patients battling gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, like colorectal and pancreatic cancer.

Led by Dr. Sony Tuteja, the research showed that testing for two specific genes, DPYD and UGT1A1, can help doctors personalize chemotherapy doses. Why does that matter? Because about 1 in 12 people carry genetic variants that make it harder for their bodies to process certain chemotherapy drugs. Without knowing this, patients can suffer severe side effects, including low blood counts, mouth sores, and debilitating fatigue.

But when patients were tested ahead of time, and their doses adjusted accordingly, serious side effects were cut in half. That means fewer complications, fewer hospital visits, and more people able to continue their fight against cancer without unnecessary setbacks.

This kind of precision medicine is a powerful example of how science is evolving to treat not just the disease, but the individual.

At Philly Fights Cancer, we are proud to help fund lifesaving research like this. It’s innovations like these that bring us closer to a future where cancer treatments are not only more effective—but safer, smarter, and more personal.

Read more on Penn Medicine’s website: Genetic testing lowers risks from chemo for GI cancer | Penn Medicine

In a landmark moment for immune-based therapies, AbbVie is acquiring Capstan Therapeutics—a biotech startup launched from the University of Pennsylvania—for $2.1 billion. The move underscores growing confidence in in-vivo CAR-T technology, an innovative way to reprogram immune cells directly inside the body.

Capstan’s work builds on the groundbreaking CAR-T therapy pioneered at Penn by Dr. Carl June, which has already transformed cancer treatment for countless patients. Traditional CAR-T involves removing a patient’s T cells, engineering them in a lab, and then reinfusing them—a complex, time-intensive, and costly process. Capstan’s approach aims to streamline this into a single injection powered by mRNA and lipid nanoparticles, similar to the technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.

While Capstan is first focusing on autoimmune diseases, the implications for cancer care are profound. By simplifying treatment and reducing costs, this approach could one day make life-saving therapies more accessible to patients everywhere. With AbbVie’s global resources, Capstan is poised to accelerate trials and move closer to bringing these cutting-edge therapies to the people who need them most.

For Philly Fights Cancer, this story comes full circle. Our mission has always been to raise funds and awareness for the very research that began here in Philadelphia—and that research is now shaping the future of cancer treatment worldwide. Every breakthrough like this proves that the work happening at Penn, and the support of our community, brings us closer to a cancer-free world.

Learn more about this important progress at the link below.

Link: Penn start-up Capstan acquired by AbbVie for $2.1 billion

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) has received two 2025 Achievement Awards from the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), recognizing groundbreaking programs that tackle food insecurity and improve cancer care access.

One initiative, A Hospital Based Food Insecurity Program, earned the Community Champions Award for addressing a critical social determinant of health. Launched in 2020 by HUP nurses, the program screens patients for food insecurity and offers free, nutritionally tailored groceries through an in-hospital pantry. With support from partners like Philabundance, it has distributed nearly 100,000 pounds of food to date. The program also trains university students in addressing health disparities through community-based learning.

HUP’s second award, the Optimal Operations Award, went to the Weekend Infusion Services for Oncology Patients project, which expanded the Abramson Cancer Center’s Oncology Evaluation Center hours to seven days a week. This urgent care model helps cancer patients avoid unnecessary ER visits and hospital stays by providing timely infusions, tests, and treatments. The expanded access not only improves patient experience and outcomes but also offers greater flexibility for those juggling work and care.

These award-winning efforts exemplify HUP’s commitment to high-quality, equitable care that meets patients’ needs inside and outside the hospital. Philly Fights Cancer is #PennProud to support and celebrate the innovative work being done at Abramson Cancer Center to advance equitable, patient-centered care and improve the health of our communities. Read more about these awards at the link below:

Hospital honored for food aid, expanded cancer care access | Penn Medicine

In a significant leap forward for immunotherapy, scientists have discovered a safer, more precise way to engineer CAR-T cells—specialized immune cells capable of recognizing and destroying cancer. Traditionally, researchers have relied on CRISPR to modify these cells. While groundbreaking, CRISPR’s method of cutting DNA can sometimes result in unintended consequences, including genomic instability and cellular stress.

Now, researchers are turning to an innovative tool known as a base editor, which allows scientists to make pinpoint changes to DNA without cutting it. This gentler, more exact approach results in CAR-T cells that are stronger, longer-lasting, and less prone to cellular damage. In laboratory models, these refined cells demonstrate enhanced durability and cancer-fighting power—marking a pivotal step toward more reliable, scalable, and patient-safe therapies.

These advancements don’t happen in a vacuum. Breakthroughs like this rely on philanthropic investment to move from the lab to life-saving clinical trials, especially in a landscape where traditional funding can fall short. Philly Fights Cancer is proud to help fill that critical funding gap by supporting revolutionary CAR-T research at the Abramson Cancer Center.

Together, we’re not just imagining a better future for cancer care, we’re building it.

Read more about this research and the future of CAR-T therapies at the link below.

Quadruple adenine base–edited allogeneic CAR T cells outperform CRISPR/Cas9 nuclease–engineered T cells | PNAS

This Mother’s Day marks five years since the passing of Madlyn Abramson — a beloved mother, friend, and visionary whose generosity continues to shape the future of cancer care. Madlyn’s bold spirit and philanthropic leadership helped lay the foundation for Philly Fights Cancer and transformed how Penn Medicine advances cancer research and delivers compassionate care. Her legacy lives on in every breakthrough, every patient helped, and every life saved.

Philly Fights Cancer is proud to carry her mission forward by funding the life-saving research and clinical trials at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center — the place that bears her name and carries her heart.

Pictured: Abramson Cancer Center nurses assist in distributing our Philly Fights Cancer blankets, which are provided to some patients undergoing treatment to help make their visit more comfortable.

A little over a year ago, Joseph Coates was told there was only one thing left to decide. Did he want to die at home, or in the hospital?

For months, he had been battling a rare blood disorder called POEMS syndrome, which had left him with numb hands and feet, an enlarged heart and failing kidneys. He became too sick to receive a stem cell transplant — one of the only treatments that could have put him into remission.

But Coates’s girlfriend, Tara Theobald, wasn’t ready to quit. So she sent an email begging for help to a doctor in Philadelphia named David Fajgenbaum, whom the couple met a year earlier at a rare disease summit.

By the next morning, Dr. Fajgenbaum had replied, suggesting an unconventional combination of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and steroids previously untested as a treatment for Coates’s disorder.

Within a week, Coates was responding to treatment. In four months, he was healthy enough for a stem cell transplant. Today, he’s in remission.

The lifesaving drug regimen wasn’t thought up by the doctor, or any person. It had been spit out by an artificial intelligence model.

In labs around the world, scientists are using A.I. to search among existing medicines for treatments that work for rare diseases. Drug repurposing, as it’s called, is not new, but the use of machine learning is speeding up the process — and could expand the treatment possibilities for people with rare diseases and few options.

Thanks to versions of the technology developed by Dr. Fajgenbaum’s team at the University of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, drugs are being quickly repurposed for conditions including rare and aggressive cancers, fatal inflammatory disorders and complex neurological conditions. And often, they’re working.

At the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Fajgenbaum’s platform compares roughly 4,000 drugs against 18,500 diseases. For each disease, pharmaceuticals get a score based on the likelihood of efficacy. Once the predictions are made, a team of researchers combs through them to find promising ideas, then performs lab tests or connects with doctors willing to try the drugs on patients.

To read the full article from the New York Times here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/well/ai-drug-repurposing.html