A groundbreaking study led by UPMC physician-scientist, Lan Coffman, MD, PhD, has uncovered a key factor in the development of high-grade serous ovarian cancer – a subset of mesenchymal stem cells found near precancerous lesions in the fallopian tubes. This research, published by the National Cancer Institute, underscores the critical importance of investing in early detection and prevention, especially for women with inherited risk factors like BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2025/ovarian-cancer-stic-high-risk-mscs (fb)

Udai Kammula, MD, director of the Solid Tumor Cell Therapy Program at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, was puzzled when the metastatic tumors he was surgically removing from patients with uveal melanoma were chock full of T-cells. These mighty white blood cells work tirelessly to activate the body’s immune system and fight off pathogens. Uveal melanoma was a type of cancer that wasn’t responding to any cell-boosting therapies, so that didn’t make any sense. Dr. Kammula began to wonder what it was about the tumor’s microenvironment that stopped the T-cells from activating and working against the tumor. Him and his team decided that they would take the T-cells inhabiting the metastases and grow them externally in the lab by the billions before infusing them back into the patient as treatment. “Everyone, including my mentor, said it was never going to work. We were never going to see results,” says Dr. Kammula. “But, we did.” Katie Doble is one of Dr. Kammula’s patients who has seen remarkable results. She was only 31 years old and living in Denver when she was first diagnosed with stage 4 uveal melanoma and told she had 16 months to live. In July 2020, Katie turned to Dr. Kammula’s trial; it was her fourth clinical trial. After confirming Katie’s eligibility for the trial and admitting her as a patient, Dr. Kammula’s team took less than a million of her T-cells back to their lab, where they multiplied the cells to reach 111 billion. They then infused them back into Katie and monitored her as the T-cells began to work their magic. More than three years after her treatment, Katie remains cancer free. “We watch her like a hawk,” says Dr. Kammula. “Thus far, she is doing great.” Dr. Kammula and his team will continue to monitor their patients as the years go by, but they remain confident and inspired by the promising results they’ve achieved thus far. Thank you to Dr. Kammula and his team for providing new hope to cancer patients.💜 (fb)