https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from The Wistar Institute Many cancers can be treated by administering DNA-damaging agents, such as platinum-based chemotherapy, because the resulting DNA damage causes the cancer cells to die. A subset of cancers, however, including ovarian cancers, can repair their own DNA. Because such cancers survive despite chemotherapy, ovarian cancer patients whose tumors are DNA repair proficient have historically faced a poor prognosis and commonly recur within six months. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-scientists-metabolic-chemotherapy-resistance-ovarian.html Thu, 28 May 2026 14:20:03 EDT news699191699 Scientists at The Wistar Institute and clinical researchers from ChristianaCare's Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute have discovered a vulnerability in pancreatic cancer that could be targeted as a potential therapy. In a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they show how defective mitochondria within cells spark a process that triggers inflammation. They also show how cancer cells become so dependent on this inflammation to grow that without it, they die. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-blocking-cellular-inflammation-result-effective.html Sun, 03 May 2026 08:00:05 EDT news696609713 T cell lymphomas are notoriously difficult to treat because immunotherapy, despite being one of the most effective therapies for treating cancer, can't easily distinguish cancerous T cells from healthy ones. Now, scientists at The Wistar Institute have designed a two-vaccine approach that not only targets the tumors' unique molecular identity but counters the evasion strategy the cancer employs in response. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-scientists-vaccine-strategy-cell-lymphoma.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:30:04 EDT news692377081 Wistar scientists have combined a promising cancer therapy with a molecule that targets tumors to treat cancer more effectively. The new approach could be a way to deliver treatment directly to tumors at higher doses, while reducing side effects in healthy tissue. The research is published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-dual-action-molecule-cancer-treatment.html Oncology & Cancer Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:47:33 EST news689607962 Scientists at The Wistar Institute have developed an HIV vaccine candidate that achieves something never before observed in the field: inducing neutralizing antibodies against HIV after a single immunization in nonhuman primates. The innovative approach, published in Nature Immunology, could significantly shorten and simplify HIV vaccination protocols, making them more accessible worldwide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-shot-hiv-vaccine-candidate-neutralizing.html HIV & AIDS Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:36:51 EST news689322961 Scientists at The Wistar Institute have identified a previously overlooked mediator in the body's response to life-threatening infections: hippuric acid, a metabolite produced when gut bacteria break down polyphenols from berries, tea, and other plant-based foods. The research reveals that this molecule acts as an immune-system amplifier, boosting the body's inflammatory defenses during early infection but elevating them to deadly levels when infections progress to sepsis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-gut-derived-metabolite-hippuric-acid.html Immunology Sat, 31 Jan 2026 08:10:01 EST news688916729 Scientists at The Wistar Institute have solved a longstanding puzzle in ovarian cancer treatment: why anti-estrogen therapy often fails even when tumors express the hormone receptor that should make them responsive. The study reveals that mutant p53, which occurs in 96% of high-grade serous ovarian cancers, blocks estrogen signaling, which drives treatment resistance. The researchers also identified a potential therapeutic strategy that relies on a drug already being explored in clinical trials. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-anti-estrogen-therapy-ovarian-cancer.html Oncology & Cancer Tue, 11 Nov 2025 15:50:04 EST news682098398 New research by Wistar Institute scientists shows how targeting a cleft in the retinoblastoma protein can kill tumor-protecting macrophages in ovarian cancer. The discovery provides a novel therapeutic target that could potentially make ovarian and other cancers more sensitive to immunotherapies. Their findings are published in Cancer Immunology Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-scientists-therapeutic-ovarian-cancer.html Oncology & Cancer Tue, 09 Sep 2025 13:15:04 EDT news676642502 Scientists at The Wistar Institute have discovered that a class of FDA-approved cancer drugs known as PARP1 inhibitors can effectively combat Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-driven lymphomas. The findings, published in the Journal of Medical Virology, demonstrate that these drugs, which work by blocking the activity of the PARP1 enzyme, can halt tumor growth by interfering with the EBV's ability to activate key cancer-promoting genes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-fda-drug-halts-epstein-barr.html Medications Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:50:01 EDT news671384402 Scientists at The Wistar Institute have discovered how a key protein from the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), EBNA-LP, fundamentally rewires the three-dimensional structure of DNA in infected B cells to promote cancer development. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-scientists-reveal-epstein-barr-virus.html Oncology & Cancer Wed, 09 Jul 2025 15:05:22 EDT news671292317 Researchers at The Wistar Institute have identified a previously unknown mechanism by which viruses can reprogram mitochondrial structure to silence immune responses and ensure successful viral reproduction. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-viral-mechanism-mitochondrial-remodeling-block.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 22 May 2025 14:25:04 EDT news667142702 Researchers have discovered a type of "molecular glue" that can be used to inhibit certain pathological protein interactions. Their findings were published in the paper, "Molecular glues that inhibit deubiquitylase activity and inflammatory signaling," in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-molecular-therapeutic-approach-autoimmune-conditions.html Biotechnology Mon, 14 Apr 2025 16:02:29 EDT news663865338 Scientists in The Wistar Institute lab of David B. Weiner, Ph.D., have described a next-generation vaccination technology that combines plasmid DNA with a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery system. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-scientists-pre-clinical-proof-concept.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 28 Mar 2025 12:52:53 EDT news662385168 The Wistar Institute's Paul M. Lieberman, Ph.D. and lab identified and tested a new method for targeting certain cancers caused by Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), in the paper, "USP7 inhibitors destabilize EBNA1 and suppress EBV tumorigenesis," from the Journal of Medical Virology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-scientists-strategy-cancer-epstein-barr.html Oncology & Cancer Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:38:48 EDT news660832725 The lab of Filippo Veglia, Ph.D., at The Wistar Institute has discovered a previously unknown mechanism for how aggressive brain cancers reprogram immune system cells from fighting cancer to enabling further tumor growth. The team's findings were published in the paper "Functional reprogramming of neutrophils within the brain tumor microenvironment by hypoxia-driven histone lactylation," from Cancer Discovery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-scientists-mechanism-glioblastoma-reprograms-tumor.html Oncology & Cancer Fri, 28 Feb 2025 12:03:04 EST news659966581 Researchers at The Wistar Institute's HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center have successfully identified a new approach using natural killer (NK) cells to target and kill the HIV-positive cells that allow the virus to persist. Wistar scientists have labeled this new approach "NuKES": Natural Killer Enhancement Strategy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-scientists-natural-killer-cell-strategy.html HIV & AIDS Tue, 18 Feb 2025 10:35:04 EST news659097301 The lab of The Wistar Institute's Jessie Villanueva, Ph.D., has identified a new strategy for attacking treatment-resistant melanoma: inhibiting the gene S6K2. The team has published their findings in a paper titled "Selective abrogation of S6K2 identifies lipid homeostasis as a survival vulnerability in MAPKi-resistant NRASMUT melanoma" in the journal Science Translational Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-inhibiting-gene-weapon-treatment-resistant.html Oncology & Cancer Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:24:04 EST news657987841 The Wistar Institute's David B. Weiner, Ph.D.—Executive Vice President, director of the Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center and W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Distinguished Professor in Cancer Research—and his lab have successfully tested a new immune therapy that, in preclinical lab testing, reliably improves survival and reduces tumor burden in glioblastoma. Their findings were published in the paper, "Novel tri-specific T-cell engager targeting IL-13Rα2 and EGFRvIII provides long-term survival in heterogeneous GBM challenge and promotes antitumor cytotoxicity with patient immune cells," in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-immunotherapy-brain-cancer.html Oncology & Cancer Tue, 03 Dec 2024 15:22:39 EST news652461753 The Wistar Institute's Alessandro Gardini, Ph.D., and lab have shed new light on how certain biological processes determine the development of neural cells. Their findings on a molecular "bridge" complex demonstrate a new level of detail in the understanding of early neural development—which is fundamental for the further understanding of neurodevelopmental syndromes. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-cell-important-factor-neural.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 27 Nov 2024 12:34:04 EST news651933242 A collaboration between The Wistar Institute and the University of Buea in Cameroon has uncovered the mechanisms for a medicinal plant with anti-HIV potential in Croton oligandrus Pierre & Hutch, a species of African tree that has been used in traditional healing in Cameroon to treat a variety of diseases and conditions including cancers and diabetes. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-collaboration-uncovers-mechanisms-african-anti.html Biochemistry Tue, 19 Nov 2024 17:11:04 EST news651258661 New research from The Wistar Institute's Salvino lab, led by professor Joseph Salvino, Ph.D., has identified a novel series of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors that may lead to potential new COVID-19 treatments that—according to preclinical testing—effectively inhibit COVID-19 and synergize with existing anti-COVID therapies. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-scientists-series-sars-cov-mpro.html Biochemistry Tue, 08 Oct 2024 15:53:18 EDT news647621589 A team from the Wistar Institute has demonstrated the role of Parkin—a protein implicated in Parkinson's disease—in the body's innate immune response to cancer. Parkin is not expressed in several cancers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-role-parkinson-protein-cancer-cell.html Oncology & Cancer Wed, 18 Sep 2024 14:28:03 EDT news645888481 New research from The Wistar Institute's Montaner lab—led by Wistar Executive Vice President, director of the HIV Cure and Viral Disease Center, and Herbert Kean, M.D., Family Professor, Luis Montaner, D.V.M., D.Phil.—has successfully isolated and cloned fully human antibodies that can block specific Type-I interferon molecules in vitro; their discovery has an array of potential clinical & research applications, enabling scientists with a new way to investigate the role of specific Type-I interferons in a variety of diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-cloning-anti-interferon-antibodies-future.html Immunology Mon, 16 Sep 2024 16:53:03 EDT news645724381 Advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a deadly form of kidney cancer with few treatment options; even with new immunotherapies, only around one in 10 patients ultimately survive. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-06-scientists-antibody-treatment-kidney-cancer.html Oncology & Cancer Tue, 04 Jun 2024 12:44:04 EDT news636723841 The Wistar Institute's Paul M. Lieberman, Ph.D., and lab team led by senior staff scientist and first author Samantha Soldan, Ph.D., have demonstrated how B cells infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can contribute to a pathogenic, inflammatory phenotype that contributes to multiple sclerosis (MS). The group has also shown how these problematic B cells can be selectively targeted in a way that reduces the damaging autoimmune response of multiple sclerosis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-mechanisms-multiple-sclerosis-treatment-strategy.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 28 May 2024 15:04:04 EDT news636127442 The Wistar Institute assistant professor Filippo Veglia, Ph.D., and team, have discovered a key mechanism of how glioblastoma—a serious and often fatal brain cancer—suppresses the immune system so that the tumor can grow unimpeded by the body's defenses. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-scientists-immunosuppressive-mechanism-brain-cancer.html Oncology & Cancer Fri, 03 May 2024 13:39:31 EDT news633962369 The Wistar Institute's associate professor Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen, Ph.D., along with his team and collaborators, has identified sugar abnormalities in the blood that may promote biological aging and inflammation in people living with HIV (PLWH). The findings, taken from a large data study comprising more than 1,200 participants, are detailed in the new paper, "Immunoglobulin G N-glycan Markers of Accelerated Biological Aging During Chronic HIV Infection," published in the journal Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-scientists-pro-aging-sugar-signature.html HIV & AIDS Wed, 10 Apr 2024 10:29:39 EDT news631963775 The Wistar Institute's associate professor Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen, Ph.D., has demonstrated, with his lab and collaborators, a connection between viral damage to the gut and premature biological aging. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-02-scientists-link-leaky-gut-biological.html Medical research Thu, 22 Feb 2024 12:40:04 EST news627828002 Wistar researchers successfully tested a simple intervention that could unlock greater anti-tumor power in therapies that use T cells—an approach known as "cell-based therapy," which uses specially designed T cells to fight cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-12-scientists-cell-based-therapy-destroy-solid.html Oncology & Cancer Wed, 13 Dec 2023 16:23:36 EST news621707011 The Wistar Institute's David B. Weiner and collaborators have engineered novel monoclonal antibodies that engage natural killer (NK) cells through a unique surface receptor that activates the immune system to fight against cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-nk-cell-engaging-immunotherapy-approaches.html Oncology & Cancer Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:00:01 EDT news618058124