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Author: The Wistar Institute

Wistar in Prime Time

Written by The Wistar Institute on . Posted in Featured News.

The Wistar Institute will be featured in On Demand, an award-winning TV program hosted by actor Rob Low and broadcasted on public television channels. The program highlights new stories and innovative concepts from industry and groundbreaking organizations through documentaries that present educational content with clarity to a wide and diverse audience.

The story on Wistar will air on public television stations across the nation while a shorter commercial segment is currently airing on local and national networks, including CNN, Fox News, CNBC, and many more.

The video documentary highlights Wistar’s history as a single-mission, fiercely independent institute solely devoted to basic biomedical research, and its cutting-edge advances and discoveries. The story features president and CEO Dr. Dario Altieri, principal investigators Drs. Maureen Murphy and David Weiner, VP for business development Dr. Heather Steinman, and dean of biomedical studies Dr. Brian Keith.

Collectively, they explain how Wistar is a trailblazer in basic biomedical research working at the forefront of cancer, immunology and infectious disease research to tackle the most pressing issues in human health, and its investment in training the next generation of scientists.

The Wistar commercial segment aired on primetime Nov. 14 and Nov. 17, 2019, on network channels. The long-form video will be released to public television affiliates on Nov. 25 and will air for the next year.

On Demand Series featuring The Wistar Institute (Commercial)

On Demand Series featuring The Wistar Institute (Full)

Wistar Champion Run for Research 2019

Written by The Wistar Institute on . Posted in Featured News.

On a brisk and windy morning, the Wistar trainees hosted the 2019 Run for Research, an annual 2-mile fun run/walk to raise funds in support of the Institute’s Trainee Association. 

Thanks to the enthusiast participation of Wistar staff and friends, this year’s run was the highest-grossing Trainee Association fundraiser so far.

Pre- and postdoctoral research fellows are the next generation of biomedical research leaders and play an essential role in the transformative research done at Wistar every day. All funds raised through this event will directly support their training, education and professional development.

Wistar Collaboration with LUMC to Advance Research Education

Written by The Wistar Institute on . Posted in Featured News.

Wistar’s VP of Institutional Advancement Dr. Anita Pepper met with Dutch dignitaries and scientific and academic leaders in the Netherlands to formally endorse the Wistar-Schoemaker International Postdoctoral Fellowship in partnership with Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), to bring recent Ph.D. graduates trained at LUMC to Wistar to advance their research education.

This program will expand the Institute’s international partnerships in research and education and promote scientific exchange between investigators in the Netherlands and the United States, opening new opportunities for global collaboration.

The Wistar-Schoemaker Fellowship honors the legacy and accomplishments of the late Dr. Hubert J.P. Schoemaker, a visionary pioneer in biotechnology and a native of the Netherlands, who was the co-founder of Centocor, now Janssen Biologics, with Dr. Hilary Koprowski, Dr. Vincent Zurawski, and Michael Wall. Centocor was located in the Philadelphia suburbs and advanced the Institute’s seminal research in monoclonal antibodies into a commercial platform, becoming one of the most exciting biotechnology companies of the late 1980s and 1990s.

Schoemaker also built Centocor facilities in the Netherlands in what is now the Leiden Bio Science Park, one of the top five science parks in Europe that today hosts LUMC.

The Wistar-Schoemaker International Postdoctoral Fellowship is set to reprise the historical collaboration between Wistar and the Dutch biomedical research arena, and was inspired by Schoemaker’s passion for mentoring the next generation of scientific leaders.

In a homecoming of sorts, Dr. Schoemaker’s wife Anne accompanied Dr. Pepper during the visit to Leiden. Mrs. Schoemaker was instrumental in the process of establishing the Wistar-LUMC partnership and the Fellowship.

Caption: Dr. Pancras Hogendoorn, dean of the Leiden University Medical Center, and Wistar’s Dr. Pepper at the official ceremony to sign off on the Wistar-Schoemaker International Postdoctoral Fellowship.

International Collaboration for Scientific Training Launched Between The Wistar Institute and Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands 

Written by The Wistar Institute on . Posted in Press Releases.

PHILADELPHIA — (Nov. 14, 2019) — The Wistar Institute and Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) formalized a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions to explore a postdoctoral training exchange program in immunology, cancer research and vaccine biology. The Wistar-Schoemaker International Postdoctoral Fellowship would bring recent Ph.D. graduates trained at LUMC to Wistar to advance their research education under the mentorship of cutting-edge biomedical research leaders.

“The Wistar Institute has a long history of collaborative efforts both in research and education, while training new generations of scientists is part of our mission and contribution to the advancement of biomedical research,” said Dario C. Altieri, M.D., Wistar president and CEO and director of the Institute’s Cancer Center and the Robert & Penny Fox Distinguished Professor. “We are very excited by the prospect of an international exchange between Wistar and LUMC, expanding the Institute’s reach and opening new opportunities for global collaboration.”

The Wistar Institute is an international leader in fundamental biomedical research and technological innovation with special expertise in cancer and immunology research and vaccine development. As a modern university medical center, the LUMC aims to improve healthcare and people’s health and achieves this mission by providing patients with optimised, state-of-the-art healthcare based on pioneering research and innovative teaching.

The Wistar-Schoemaker Postdoctoral Fellowship builds upon the legacy of the late Hubert J.P. Schoemaker, Ph.D., a visionary pioneer in biotechnology and a native of the Netherlands, who was the co-founder of Centocor, now Janssen Biologics. Centocor engaged in an auspicious collaboration with Wistar to advance the Institute’s seminal research in monoclonal antibodies into a commercial platform. More importantly, Schoemaker believed in mentoring the next generation of innovative scientific leaders, which is the inspiration behind this program.

As one of the early biotechnology entrepreneurs who built their facilities in the Leiden Bio Science Park, Schoemaker contributed to the successful development of one of the top five science parks in Europe that today hosts LUMC along with more than 200 organizations and biotech companies.

The Wistar-Schoemaker Postdoctoral Fellowship is set to reprise the historical collaboration between Wistar and the Dutch biomedical research arena, expanding Wistar’s international partnerships in research and education and promoting scientific exchange between investigators in the Netherlands and the United States.

The program uniquely proposes to facilitate the return of awardees to the Netherlands at the end of the three-year training period at Wistar, to establish their lab and bring their newly aquired skillset to advance biomedical research in the Netherlands.

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The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer, infectious disease research, and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the United States, Wistar has held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute since 1972. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. wistar.org.

Digital illustration of DNA with scientific background

Synthetic DNA Technology Applied as a Novel Strategy for Delivery of Anti-HIV Antibodies

Written by The Wistar Institute on . Posted in Press Releases.

PHILADELPHIA — (Nov. 8, 2019) — Scientists at The Wistar Institute applied synthetic DNA-based technology to drive in vivo production of broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies in small and large-animal models, providing proof of concept for a simple and effective next generation approach to HIV prevention and therapy. These results were published online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Despite exceptional advances in antiretroviral therapies, there remains a need for new preventive and therapeutic modalities to eliminate HIV infection. Researchers have isolated a number of very potent monoclonal antibodies from infected individuals that can neutralize a diverse array of HIV strains. Such monoclonal antibodies can be manufactured and administered as passive immunotherapy and represent a promising approach currently in early clinical studies.

Widespread use of recombinant monoclonal antibodies, though, remains limited by several factors related to their half-life of expression, production costs supporting high doses needed, temperature stability, formulation issues, and limitations in production of antibody combinations, among others.

“We developed the DMAb platform to allow for direct in vivo production of antibodies through synthetic DNA engineered to provide instructions to the body to make the desired antibodies,” said lead researcher David B. Weiner, Ph.D., executive vice president, director of the Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center and W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Professor in Cancer Research at Wistar. “Based on our early data, we suggest that this platform is worth further investigation as a new strategy for HIV antibody delivery.”

Weiner and collaborators engineered a panel of 16 DMAbs rederiving previously characterized broadly neutralizing antibodies into the DMAb format. These were studied in mice via injection using Cellectra adaptive electroporation to enhance the DNA uptake. Researchers observed rapid DMAb expression and sustained blood levels for several months. Furthermore, in vivo-produced DMAbs displayed strong neutralization ability, comparable to the corresponding recombinant antibodies.

Since the HIV virus is capable of mutating to escape single antibody immunity, combinations of up to four different DMAbs were tested as a strategy to overcome resistance. Total in vivo levels of antibodies produced in combination were comparable to the sum of the levels of the same antibodies administered individually, showing that this platform is flexible and suited for combination therapies with multiple antibodies. Importantly, the data supported that the combination could block more HIV viruses than the single antibodies.

Researchers next explored HIV-1 DMAb delivery in a pilot non-human primate study that is more relevant for translation to humans. Expression was detected as early as three days post-administration of one or two combined DMAbs, which displayed peak activity by 14 days. Importantly, the serum from treated animals had high antiviral activity.

“Although still in early stage of development, DMAbs have significant potential as a tool for treatment of HIV and other diseases and, if successfully translated to the clinic, will provide multiple new avenues for immunotherapy,” said Weiner. “Translational animal studies and clinical development are likely to be a very active area of research providing important information over the next few years.”

Co-authors: Megan C. Wise from Inovio Pharmaceuticals and Ziyang Xu from The Wistar Institute are co-first authors. Other co-authors include: Edgar Tello-Ruiz, Aspen Trautz, Ami Patel, Sarah T.C. Elliott, Neethu Chokkalingam, Sophie Kim, Kar Muthumani, and Daniel W. Kulp from Wistar; Jingjing Jiang, Paul Fisher, Stephany J. Ramos, Trevor R.F. Smith, Janess Mendoza, Kate E. Broderick, and Laurent Humeau from Inovio; Charles Beck, Melissa G. Kerkau, Guido Ferrari, and David C. Montefiori from Duke University.

Work supported by: National Institutes of Health grant U19 Al109646-04 (Integrated Preclinical/Clinical AIDS Vaccine Development Program), The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust and grant 2528109374 from the Martin Delaney Collaboratory: Towards an HIV Cure.

Publication information: In vivo delivery of synthetic DNA-encoded antibodies induces broad HIV-1-neutralizing activity, Journal of Clinical Investigation (2019). Advanced online publication.

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The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer research and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the United States, Wistar has held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute since 1972. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. wistar.org.

Wistar’s Dr. Heather Steinman Appointed PHL Life Sciences Co-chair

Written by The Wistar Institute on . Posted in Featured News.

PHL Life Sciences, a business development division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, will welcome two new co-chairs to lead its Advisory Board, tasked with advocating for the Greater Philadelphia region as a life sciences meetings destination.

Dr. Heather Steinman, vice president for business development and executive director of technology transfer at The Wistar Institute, and Dr. Darryl Williams, senior vice president of science and education at the Franklin Institute, will succeed Dr. Margaret Foti, president and CEO of the American Association for Cancer Research and Chris Yochim, founding member and chairman of the Board of the Delaware Bioscience Association.

Since joining Wistar in 2014, Steinman has worked to reduce barriers between biomedical research and its ultimate commercial application. By streamlining this process, she’s helped enhance the city’s reputation for breakthrough science and technology innovation. Prior to this role, Steinman served as the director of the Penn Center for Innovation, Perelman School of Medicine Office at the University of Pennsylvania. She also spent more than a decade as a technology licensing professional in the Office of Technology Management at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

“We’re fortunate to have a deep bench to step up and lead the next two years of the PHL Advisory Board, and we are thankful for the countless hours Margaret and Chris have dedicated to our mission,” said Bonnie Grant, executive director of PHL Life Sciences, at the PHLCVB. “Both Heather and Darryl have spent extensive time building their reputations in other comparable life sciences destinations, making their perspectives invaluable as we continue to promote Philadelphia’s strengths to life sciences meeting planners.”

The 2019 Wistar Gala: Honoring Fran Tobin

Written by The Wistar Institute on . Posted in Featured News.

During the 2019 Wistar Gala, more than 300 people united in the heart of Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Academy for the Fine Arts (PAFA) to honor the legacy of Wistar philanthropist Fran Tobin. Fran was a force of nature and major Wistar supporter, who, for the last 20+ years, gave her time and energy to secure Wistar’s position as a global biomedical research leader.

Winding throughout PAFA galleries, guests had opportunities to learn about the work being done at Wistar by observing cancer cells under a microscope and spending five-minute “speed science” rounds talking research with early-career researchers. A silent auction of priceless experiences and trips, Flyers and Sixers memorabilia, Wistar scientific imagery, and a curated selection of generously donated items from the Gala Committee, brought back the memory of Fran and her favorite things.

CBS health reporter Stephanie Stahl emceed the night’s program, which included a tribute video to Fran with special words from Wistar’s president & CEO Dr. Dario Altieri as well as close-knit family and friends.

After dinner, guests enjoyed Betting on Wistar Science – the evening’s theme based on one of Fran’s favorite forms of entertainment — with a full-fledged casino featuring multiple dealers and games.

The evening was a wonderful reminder of what Fran Tobin’s legacy means to the Wistar community, and what donors and supporters like her can accomplish in support of biomedical research.

Thank you to our lead gala sponsor, Flyers Charities, and all our wonderful sponsors for making the evening a success.

See photos from the night:

The Wistar Gala Honoring Fran Tobin

The PA Department of Labor & Industry Named Wistar’s Biomedical Research Technician Apprenticeship the 2019 Outstanding Non-traditional Apprenticeship Program

Written by The Wistar Institute on . Posted in Featured News.

During the 2nd Annual Pennsylvania Apprenticeship Summit held in Hershey, Pa., Wistar’s Biomedical Research Technician (BRT) Apprenticeship was named the 2019 Outstanding Non-traditional Apprenticeship Program by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. 

This 2nd PA Apprenticeship Summit shows the emphasis the Commonwealth is placing on creating new training opportunities to connect jobseekers with highly specialized jobs.

Nontraditional apprenticeships serve the community by applying the model used by skilled trades to place highly skilled, qualified workers into the job market.

Caption:
(L-R) Eileen Cipriani, Deputy Secretary, Workforce Development, PA Dept. of L & I; William Wunner, Ph.D., Wistar director, Outreach Education, Technology Training & Academic Affairs; Brian Keith, Ph.D., Wistar Dean Biomedical Studies; Eric Ramsay, Director, Apprenticeship and Training Office PA Department of L & I.

Wistar Institute Researcher Awarded American Cancer Society Research Professorship

Written by The Wistar Institute on . Posted in Press Releases.

PRINCETON, N.J. — PHILADELPHIA — (Oct. 22, 2019) — The American Cancer Society (ACS), the largest non-government, not-for-profit funding source of cancer research in the United States, has awarded a Research Professorship to Dmitry l. Gabrilovich, M.D., Ph.D., Christopher M. Davis Professor and leader of the Immunology, Microenvironment & Metastasis Program at The Wistar Institute. This lifelong designation, accompanied by a five-year $400,000 commitment, is the most prestigious research grant made by ACS.

The grant is one of 75 research and training grants totaling $38,422,250 approved by ACS in the second of two grant cycles for 2019, which will fund investigators at 57 institutions across the United States and include three new Research Professorships.

The Gabrilovich laboratory will continue its groundbreaking work to understand the roles played by myeloid immune cells in promoting tumor growth and will also explore new evidence indicating these cells may be re-programmed to participate in the antitumor immune response. The work will uncover previously unknown features of myeloid cells in cancer and, more importantly, will provide new approaches to their therapeutic targeting.

“I am grateful to the American Cancer Society for this distinguished recognition,” said Gabrilovich. “With support from this award, we will further expand our knowledge of the biology of myeloid cells in cancer and design new approaches to selectively target these cells that play a fundamental role in our body’s antitumor response and therapy response.”
ACS Research Professors are leaders in innovative and influential fields that are changing the direction of cancer research.

“Dr. Gabrilovich is a pioneer in studies of tumor associated immune cells and the development of new approaches to target tumor immunity for cancer treatment,” said Susanna Greer, Ph.D., director of clinical research and immunology at ACS. “His ACS Research Professor grant focuses on fundamental questions of tumor immunity and has the potential to generate high impact findings.”

The American Cancer Society Extramural Research program currently supports research and training in a wide range of cancer-related disciplines at more than 200 institutions. With an investment of more than $4.9 billion since 1946, the ACS is the largest private, nonprofit source of cancer research funds in the United States and has funded 49 researchers who have gone on to be awarded the Nobel Prize. The program primarily funds early career investigators, giving the best and the brightest a chance to explore cutting-edge ideas at a time when they might not find funding elsewhere.

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About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 1.5 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. From breakthrough research, to free lodging near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline, free rides to treatment, and convening powerful activists to create awareness and impact, the Society is the only organization attacking cancer from every angle. For more information go to www.cancer.org.

About The Wistar Institute
The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer, immunology, infectious disease research, and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the United States, Wistar has held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute since 1972. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. wistar.org.

$12.5 Million Grant Awarded to Wistar Extends Federal Support of the Institute’s Quest for Improved Targeted Therapies for Melanoma 

Written by The Wistar Institute on . Posted in Press Releases.

PHILADELPHIA — (Oct. 17, 2019) — The Wistar Institute and collaborating institutions have received a major grant from the National Institutes of Health to further research on new melanoma targeted therapies integrating the role of the tumor microenvironment in influencing response to therapy and development of resistance.

The grant, totaling $12.5 million over five years, is a collaborative, multidisciplinary research program that supports multiple research projects contributing to the overall objectives.

The collaboration team is led by Meenhard Herlyn, D.V.M., D.Sc., Director of Wistar’s Melanoma Research Center and Professor in the Molecular & Cellular Oncogenesis Program, and Ashani T. Weeraratna, Ph.D., Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Cancer Biology and the E.V. McCollum Chair of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and co-program leader of the Cancer Invasion and Metastasis Program at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, School of Medicine. Until very recently, Dr. Weeraratna was a member of Wistar’s faculty.

Even though the breakthroughs in immunotherapy and targeted therapy have improved the overall outcome for patients, a significant fraction of them fail to respond or develop resistance to frontline therapy.

“Tumor cells and immune cells communicate and interact with the other cell populations in the environment surrounding the tumor,” said Herlyn. “Therefore, just targeting specific genetic drivers in the tumor cells or specific immune response mechanisms is not effective because the tumor eventually finds ways to bypass the block. Our team brings together diverse expertise so that we can tackle the whole picture from different angles.”

This funding is an extension of a pre-existing grant that has continuously been funded for 10 years and has produced numerous advancements in the field.

“We are excited to deploy our expertise in the tumor microenvironment to hone and improve existing therapies for melanoma,” said Weeraratna. “We also plan to identify novel targets so as to disrupt the age-related changes that drive therapy resistance commonly seen in older melanoma patients.”

During the previous funding cycle, the team revealed the impact of aging on the tumor microenvironment, defined metabolic mechanisms that influence tumor cell survival and immune cell regulation and identified several novel molecular targets and potential inhibitors.

Building on their new understanding of the role of the tumor microenvironment in therapy resistance, researchers are now expanding their studies through four integrated projects that aim to:

  • Target the lipid metabolism in immune cell populations that favor tumor growth as a way to inhibit their function;
  • Block lysosomal pathways that allow melanoma cells to recycle nutrients and survive in stress conditions;
  • Advance development of a molecule that has been proven effective in selectively killing melanoma cells and test it on difficult-to-treat melanoma types;
  • Target mechanisms through which melanoma cells circumvent the activity of MEK inhibitors, to overcome resistance and lack of response to therapy.

Projects co-leaders on the grant are: Wistar investigators Maureen Murphy, Ph.D., leader of the Molecular & Cellular Oncogenesis Program and the Ira Brind Professor; Dmitry Gabrilovich, M.D., Ph.D., leader of the Immunology, Microenvironment & Metastasis Program and the Christopher M. Davis Professor, Jessie Villanueva, Ph.D., associate professor in the Molecular & Cellular Oncogenesis Program; from University of Pennsylvania: professor Jeffrey D. Winkler, Ph.D., associate professor Ravi K. Amaravadi, M.D., and associate professor Donna L. George, Ph.D.; and from Thomas Jefferson University: professor Andrew Aplin, Ph.D. Cores are led by Herlyn, Weeraratna and Qin Liu, M.D., Ph.D., from Wistar, and Xiaowei Xu, M.D. Ph.D., from University of Pennsylvania. Co-investigators include Zachary Schug, Ph.D., Qing Chen, M.D., Ph.D., and Joseph Salvino, Ph.D., from Wistar.

Grant information: 2P01CA114046-11A1, Targeted Therapies in Melanoma, 2008-2024.

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The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special cancer, immunology, infectious disease research, and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the United States, Wistar has held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute since 1972. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. wistar.org.