E. John Wherry, PhD, Recognized With Award During AACR Annual Meeting
E. John Wherry, PhD, was awarded the 2023 AACR-Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology during the 2023 AACR Annual Meeting. Wherry is Chair of the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Director of the Institute for Immunology, and founding Director of the Immune Health Project in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He is being honored for his major fundamental discoveries associated with deciphering the mechanisms of T-cell exhaustion in cancer, which has aided and informed research dedicated to establishing effective checkpoint blockade immunotherapies and has revealed novel approaches to reinvigorate T cells.
The AACR-CRI Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology recognizes active scientists whose outstanding and innovative research has had a major impact on the cancer field and has the potential to stimulate new directions in cancer immunology.
Wherry is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking achievements in basic, translational, and clinical immunology, dramatically influencing the scientific understanding of cancer immunobiology and immunotherapy. His work has defined the concept of T-cell exhaustion and has distinguished exhaustion from other forms of immune system non-responsiveness. Wherry was instrumental in first identifying PD-1 expression by exhausted T cells and in characterizing the co-regulation of exhaustion by PD-1 and other inhibitory receptors. His innovative research has laid the foundation for demonstrating that exhausted T cells are a critical target of PD-1 checkpoint blockade in cancer. This treatment has transformed many previously intractable cancers into chronic diseases.
Recently, Wherry has discovered new developmental biology pathways governing the lineage dynamics of exhausted T cells. His laboratory team is now attempting to identify and catalog associated signals that control cellular homeostasis. Further, Wherry and his team at Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center are working to develop new cellular engineering techniques to generate cell-based therapies, such as CAR-T cells, by targeting noncoding genomic regulatory elements that control state-specific gene regulation in exhausted T cells.
More recently, Wherry's group has pioneered deep immune profiling pipelines that allow an "immune health" fingerprint to be defined and monitored over time. This approach is being explored in cancer patients and individuals affected by COVID-19 to study clinical perturbations whereby alterations in an individual's immune health profile can subsequently help determine current and future immune competency.
"Dr. Wherry's innovative research has resulted in crucial scientific insights that have not only advanced the field of cancer immunology, but also helped to revolutionize treatment for patients with cancer," said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), Chief Executive Officer of the AACR. "His discoveries involving T-cell exhaustion have cemented his status as a leading authority in the field. The AACR is proud to honor him with this prestigious award."
"Since starting as a CRI fellow in 2000, Dr. Wherry's research has had a profound impact on immunology and immunotherapy. From first revealing the importance of the PD-1 immune checkpoint in T-cell exhaustion to now championing the concept and clinical approach captured by his 'immune health' initiative, the field wouldn't be where it is were it not for his contributions," said Jill O'Donnell-Tormey, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Scientific Affairs at CRI. "We are proud to have supported Dr. Wherry throughout his career and to have his valuable insights and leadership on our Scientific Advisory Council."
Kristin Rojas, MD, to Investigate the Role Opioids in Breast Cancer
Kristin Rojas, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgical Oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Dewitt Daughtry Department of Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has been awarded a 3-year, $375,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute's Early-Stage Surgeon Scientist Program (ESSP). With this funding, Rojas and colleagues will investigate the role opioids may play in breast cancer.
"I feel honored to receive this grant," Rojas noted. "This Early-Stage Surgeon Scientist Program grant is funding our efforts to study how perioperative opioids may influence breast cancer progression through the gut microbiome and could really impact patient care."
For several years, research conducted by Sabita Roy, PhD, Professor in the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery and one of Rojas's mentors, has shown that opioids can disrupt the gut microbiome, increasing systemic inflammation and other adverse effects. Roy has also shown that chronic opioid use can make the gut wall more permeable, allowing bacteria to escape into the bloodstream. These fugitive microbes could be influencing breast and other cancers far away from the gut.
At the same time, the ongoing opioid crisis has given surgeons and patients incentives to explore other analgesic options, both during and after surgery. As a result, breast cancer surgery patients have been subdivided into two groups-those who receive more surgical opioids and those who receive less-creating a unique opportunity to study how these drugs may impact breast cancer.
In 2021, Rojas was awarded a $240,000 grant to study how opioids affect gut microbiome composition in breast cancer patients. Now she wants to take that work a step further.
"The ESSP-funded project is actually a continuation of our ongoing efforts to understand how opioids given at the time of surgery influence the gut microbiome in breast cancer patients," said Rojas. "Now we want to understand how opioids may dysregulate the gut microbiome to adversely influence hormone-sensitive breast cancer."
Ultimately, Rojas hopes this grant will act as seed funding to provide crucial data and pave the way for more comprehensive NIH grants. "Right now, we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg in opioids and breast cancer," Rojas said. "By characterizing how opioid-induced changes in the gut microbiome impact cancer patients, we can eventually design interventions to prevent these adverse changes that may influence cancer outcome."
J. Isabelle Choi, MD, Elected Fellow of American College of Radiation Oncology
J. Isabelle Choi, MD, Director of Research and Clinical Director at the New York Proton Center, has been elected a Fellow of the American College of Radiation Oncology (FACRO). Fellowships are awarded to those who meet rigorous criteria of outstanding service to the college and the specialty of radiation oncology. Most importantly, recipients are honored for carrying out efforts that benefit the patients they serve. Being recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Radiation Oncology is one of the most prestigious honors the College can bestow on a member, and Choi was one of just three radiation oncologists of the more than 5,300 practicing radiation oncologists in the U.S. who was elected for this distinction in 2023.
A nationally recognized expert in the use of proton therapy to treat breast cancer and gastrointestinal cancers, Choi's research is focused on improving outcomes, reducing toxicities, and more effectively delivering radiotherapy for breast and gastrointestinal malignancies. In addition to her role at the New York Proton Center, she is a Radiation Oncology Attending in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
"Dr. Choi is an integral part of New York Proton Center's industry-leading team of renowned radiation oncologists," said Jonathan Weinbach, Chief Executive Officer at the New York Proton Center. "She's demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to expanding access to proton therapy, growing our research program, and ensuring that patients receive the best and most advanced care. We could not be prouder of Dr. Choi and her countless accomplishments; she is beyond deserving of this honor."
Choi is appointed to national and international leadership positions in both the proton therapy and conventional photon radiation therapy communities. Among these appointments, Choi is Chair of the Proton Collaborative Group Breast Committee and also the Publications Committee, Chair of the National Association of Proton Therapy's Physician Advisory Committee, and Chair of the American College of Radiation Oncology Breast Pathway Committee.
Before working at the New York Proton Center, Choi served as the Clinical Director at the California Protons Cancer Therapy Center in San Diego, where she was also the Associate Director of Clinical Research and the Chief of the Breast Cancer, Thoracic Oncology, and Gynecologic Services for the center. She was then appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and served as a clinical lead of the Maryland Proton Treatment Center.
Olivier Delattre, MD, PhD, Awarded for Pediatric Cancer Research
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) awarded Olivier Delattre, MD, PhD, with the 2023 AACR-St. Baldrick's Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pediatric Cancer Research during the 2023 AACR Annual Meeting. Delattre is the Director of the SIREDO Oncology Center and the Research Unit Director of the Cancer, Heterogeneity, Instability, and Plasticity (CHIP) unit at Inserm/Institut Curie. He is being recognized for a series of seminal genetic insights into the etiology of pediatric solid tumors that have had substantial clinical implications.
The AACR and the St. Baldrick's Foundation established the AACR-St. Baldrick's Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pediatric Cancer in 2019 to bring attention to major pediatric cancer research discoveries and to honor individuals who have significantly contributed to any area of pediatric cancer research, resulting in the fundamental improvement of the understanding and/or treatment of pediatric cancer.
Delattre is internationally heralded for having transformed the field of pediatric cancer research by opening new avenues for pediatric cancer screening while improving the precision of molecular diagnostics. He was the first to report the molecular characterization of the EWS-FLI1 chromosomal translocation in Ewing sarcoma, which is now central to the accurate diagnosis of that cancer. He has also been instrumental in identifying genetic alterations in other childhood cancers, including the BCOR-CCNB3 translocation in Ewing-like sarcoma and ALK mutations in neuroblastoma and other EWS-translocation-positive sarcomas. He was one of the first to demonstrate the existence of mutations within chromatin remodeling complexes in cancer, which are now known to occur in approximately 20 percent of human cancers. Delattre's work has been crucial to identifying major cancer predisposition genes for neurofibromatosis type 2, neuroblastoma, and a rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome, generating new insights into pediatric cancer susceptibility.
Delattre has been a leader in developing genetically engineered mouse models for neuroblastoma and rhabdoid tumors. These models have been used to evaluate candidate drug targets, assess therapeutic efficacy, and investigate drug resistance mechanisms. He has explored the oncogenic plasticity of pediatric cancers, furthering our understanding of the development of pediatric solid tumors. More recently, his work has focused on the identification of tumor-specific neogenes driven by chimeric transcription factors in sarcoma, work that has the potential to establish innovative avenues for the development of new therapeutic approaches for pediatric cancer.
Olalekan Ajayi, PharmD, MBA, Named President of ACCC
Olalekan Ajayi, PharmD, MBA, was elected President of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) at the association's 49th Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit (AMCCBS). Over the next year, he will lead the organization of cancer care professionals through a complex reimbursement system, rapid advances in cancer detection and treatment, and evolving workforce challenges, with the goal of ensuring accessible, equitable cancer care for all. Ajayi is the Chief Operating Officer for Highlands Oncology Group where he oversees the deployment of strategic initiatives into operational goals across all organizational service lines.
AMCCBS convened oncology professionals from across the nation for the 3-day summit, which focused on emerging business, policy, and technology solutions for cancer care programs. During the meeting, Ajayi announced his objectives for his 2023-2024 tenure and his President's Theme: (Re)building the Oncology Workforce to Deliver the Next Generation of Cancer Care. As part of this theme, over the next 12 months, ACCC will focus time and resources on advocating for and identifying strategies and resources to realize more equitable cancer care delivery, advocating for and identifying strategies to promote oncology workforce diversification, and convening thought leaders and key stakeholders from multidisciplinary partners to foster and mentor future oncology leaders.
"We need to develop our workforce to complement the technologies that are coming to cancer care," Ajayi noted at the summit. "They not only have to understand the technology, but we must invest in a new generation of leaders who are going to help drive the use of technology in cancer care. Technology is only as good as the people who use it."
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