Comparative Immunotherapy Program News

SebastianStrong Discovery Grant Awarded

Each year, The SebastianStrong Foundation commits to driving pivotal advancements in childhood cancer research through our Discovery Science Award. This initiative showcases our investment in groundbreaking research that promises to significantly reshape the pediatric cancer treatment landscape. Through a rigorous selection process led by our esteemed Medical Advisory Board, composed of some of the nation’s leading pediatric oncologists, we have identified research endeavors that promise to redefine our approach to cancer treatment. Dr. Nicola Mason and Dr. Antonia Rotolo lead one such project at the University of Pennsylvania, aiming to pioneer a novel osteosarcoma treatment using comparative oncology and Chimeric Antigen Receptor invariant Natural Killer T (CAR iNKT) cell therapy. Read More

Penn Sarcoma Program Awards

Antonella Rotolo, MD, PhD, Research Assistant Professor of Immunobiology in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, has received a $50,000 one-year grant from the Penn Sarcoma Program. The goal of this pilot study is to investigate epigenetic and transcriptional manipulation of osteosarcoma-associated antigens as a strategy to potentiate the efficacy of cellular immunotherapy. Eighty compounds will be screened and evaluated using a ‘cell painting’ strategy to enable visualization of each drug’s molecular effects on the cells. This study will be conducted within the Comparative Immunology Program and in collaboration with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Center for Development of Therapeutics.

Combined VMD/PhD degree student Kay Foos, Nicola Mason, BVetMed, PhD, Professor of Medicine in the Department of Pathobiology at the SVM, and Daniel Powell, PhD, Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the PSOM have received a $50,000 one-year grant from the Penn Sarcoma Program. This award to members of the Comparative Immunotherapy Program will support investigation of a novel genetic engineering approach to augment the effector function of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes within the tumor microenvironment of patients with osteosarcoma.

UPenn presents research at World Veterinary Cancer Congress in Japan

The World Veterinary Cancer Congress is an international conference held every four years with a goal of improving and developing the level of education in veterinary oncology around the world. Researchers and leaders in various fields of veterinary oncology from around the world gather to share knowledge and hold important discussions on the status of the latest findings in veterinary oncology. Nicola Mason, BVetMed, PhD, Professor of Medicine in the Department of Pathobiology at the SVM presented as a keynote speaker. Antonella Rotolo, MD, PhD, Research Assistant Professor of Immunobiology in the Department of Pathobiology at the SVM gave a talk entitled ‘Allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor invariant NKT cells for the treatment of canine and human solid tumors.’ Dr. Sho Yosimoto, a postodoctoral fellow in Dr. Mason’s laboratory, presented on ‘A PD-1/CD28 chimeric switch receptor augments canine chimeric antigen receptor T cell function against PD-L1 expressing target cells,’ while combined VMD/PhD degree student Kay Foos, also of the Mason laboratory, presented a poster on ‘Adapting tumor infiltrating lymphocyte therapy for the treatment of solid tumors in canines.’