We Are Medicine

Leading the Way to a Healthier World:
Creating Cancer Vaccines

Carl June, MD, Director of Translational Research at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center, began his work in immunology studying therapeutic vaccines for malaria and HIV/AIDS. Then he made the creative leap to developing vaccines for cancer. By carrying insights from immunology to the treatment of cancer, June has helped to create novel approaches to battling this deadly disease. “Penn has the world’s best balanced cancer center,” he says. “We have a large research engine with specialists in every area, but we have the ability to work on multidisciplinary projects. And we are the most nimble in getting things from bench innovation to human trials.” June and his colleagues are creating customized vaccines tailored to the specific tumor tissue of the patient. This “personalized medicine” has required building their own vaccine manufacturing plant. “Not a single grant we have covers all of the expenses for an entire clinical trial in this area,” he says. “Philanthropy makes up the difference.”

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PROPEL DISCOVERY
GOAL: $480 MILLION

Creating new facilities: We will create the new Fisher Translational Research Center to support collaboration between research and clinical practice.

Expanding interdisciplinary institutes and centers: We will support and expand the stature and impact of key institutes and centers addressing pressing medical needs, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, neurological disorders, and translational medicine.

Supporting basic research: We will seed innovative basic research that is the foundation for our future progress.