By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    What Are the Benefits of CBD?
    November 27, 2021
    How to Measure Adult Diapers- The Ultimate Guide to Picking the Right Size
    March 8, 2022
    medicine cabinet
    The Effect Of Finished Dosage Form Manufacturing In New Drugs
    July 5, 2022
    Latest News
    Health Benefits of Taking a Vacation to Reduce Your Stress
    September 27, 2023
    First Aid Training Enhancing Workplace Health and Safety
    September 25, 2023
    Beyond the Clinic: Medical Surveys Are a Roadmap to Passive Income for Doctors
    September 23, 2023
    5 Self-Care Habits to Help You Live an A+ Life
    September 21, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    ICD-10
    Ready or Not: ICD-10 Will Go Live as Planned Oct. 1st
    April 3, 2014
    Promoting Innovations in Medical Education
    January 23, 2013
    Hospital Marketing online
    Creating a Realistic Hospital Marketing Plan
    May 1, 2014
    Latest News
    Job Seekers with Disabilities Should at Health Insurance Benefits
    September 12, 2023
    Reasons That Drug Prices Are Rising to Unsustainable Levels
    September 12, 2023
    How Revenue Lifecycle Management Helps Healthcare Providers to Optimize Business Operations
    September 6, 2023
    The Hidden Benefits of Practice Exams for Medical Professionals
    September 6, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Carl June and Me
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Technology > Medical Innovations > Carl June and Me
Medical Innovations

Carl June and Me

Andrew Schorr
Last updated: 2011/09/14 at 9:55 AM
Andrew Schorr
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

When I was growing up I would read about scientists. I had this image of super smart people in white lab coats being some place far away – untouchable – and hunched behind microscopes. Growing up in the 50’s I thought of Dr. Jonah Salk and what he discovered to wipe out polio. No more pictures of people in iron lungs. Fewer people using crutches or wheelchairs their whole lives. Scientists made it happen.

When I was growing up I would read about scientists. I had this image of super smart people in white lab coats being some place far away – untouchable – and hunched behind microscopes. Growing up in the 50’s I thought of Dr. Jonah Salk and what he discovered to wipe out polio. No more pictures of people in iron lungs. Fewer people using crutches or wheelchairs their whole lives. Scientists made it happen.

But it was a very long time before I actually knew a scientist. After all, I was a journalism major, right? We hung out with the word people and chased the fire trucks and the politicians. Sciences didn’t get the play they deserved.

But as I have devoted myself to medical information and been living with a chronic leukemia, like many other patients where their disease has become chronic rather than terminal, I have paid more and more attention to the leading edge of science, way ahead of what’s being provided at the local clinic, even earlier in the medical research journey than clinic trials in humans. I am now getting excited about what’s happening in the test tube, or on slides under the microscope or in faint hints on the most sophisticated analysis processes.

More Read

air pollution and cancer

The Proven Links Between Air Pollution and Cancer

The Future Of Medicine: How Immunotherapy Is Saving Lives
Patient Tracking Systems: Improving Facilities for Patients and Medical Staff
Medical Code Extraction Using Artificial Intelligence
Maximizing Outcomes Through Effective Patient Engagement Strategies

Dr. Carl June, who directs translational research at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, lives in that world of early research. He is a true scientist. But because he works in translational research he tries to move science into the clinic as soon as is wise. This is the stuff early, phase I, clinical trials are made of.

I have met Carl several times. The first was about three years ago when he spoke about his research in blood cancers while we toured his new center. He was trying to rev up a cancer patient’s immune system to kill the cancer cells it missed when the cancer developed the first time around, and to then have the immune system provide active surveillance so cancer cells could not grow again. Scientists around the world have been trying to do this for years.

But guess what? Carl June and his collaborators may have made real progress in making it happen. A couple of weeks ago a prestigious  journal reported that this team has treated three patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the same disease I have, with a genetically altered HIV virus. The virus targeted the B-cells of the patients, healthy ones and the millions of cancerous ones. And in two of the patients gave them a new lease on life, a complete remission. The third received a partial remission. They are trying to figure out why the difference.

This is not necessarily “kindler, gentler” cancer therapy. But it may well be lifesaving and have tremendous lessons in the fight against many other cancers. Now Carl and others on the team like Dr. David Porter are on the interview circuit. They are in the NY Times today. Everyone wants to talk to them and Penn reports 5,000 patients with a wide range of cancers have written Carl to see if the experimental medicine can help them. He needs patients for expanded research and he should have no problem as people line up.

I have interviewed Carl a few times. He  seems to be an unassuming man. Not at all a showman. Not at all slick. Just dedicated to science. We hope to interview him again in a week or so, specifically for CLL and lymphoma patients who rely on us.

In the meantime, I guess I know a real scientist now and the significance of what discoveries they make has become much more personal. What Carl has done could one day save my life.

Wishing you and your family the best of health!

Andrew

TAGGED: cancer, immunotherapy

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Andrew Schorr September 14, 2011
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article Health Care Compliance Association – Hot Tips from the US Attorney’s Office at the New England Regional Conference
Next Article Global Chronic Disease: It’s Not All About the Money for Once

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

Andropause hormonal decline
The Benefits of TRT for Andropause and Hormonal Decline
Wellness September 28, 2023
Cancer Prevention
The Importance of Lipoma Examination in Cancer Prevention
Cancer September 28, 2023
dental implant
Cost Analysis of Dental Implants in Australia
Dental health September 28, 2023
View,Of,Niagara,Falls,In,Autumn
Health Benefits of Taking a Vacation to Reduce Your Stress
Health September 27, 2023

You Might also Like

medical interpreters
Medical Innovations

The Vital Role of Medical Interpreting Services In Healthcare

April 21, 2023
virtual reality in optometry
Technology

Virtual Reality Visual Field Test Device in Healthcare

March 22, 2023
hair transplants for cancer patients
News

Why Reputable Hair Transplant Clinics Can Help Cancer Patients

March 21, 2023
benefits of EHR systems in healthcare
Technology

Using EHR systems in healthcare for Cost-Effective Services

February 9, 2023
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US
© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?