Doctors from University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center, including Dr. Carl June (pictured second from right) meet with Vice President, Joe Biden to discuss his “Moonshot” Initiative. Photo by Joseph Kaczmarek/AP-Pool.
Vice President Joe Biden launched the “moonshot” initiative to hasten a cure for cancer at Philadelphia’s Abramson Cancer Center, where ACGT Fellows Dr. Carl June and Dr. Robert Vonderheide participated. Biden aims to break down barriers that slow progress on eradicating all cancers.
Biden emphasized immunotherapy, a promising treatment that has been providing breakthroughs against cancer. Some of the most successful work in that field has been done by Penn’s Dr. Carl June twice chosen as an ACGT Investigator and now a member of ACGT’s Scientific Advisory Council.
“Our 10-year moonshot is using the genetic information to actually prevent cancer,” said Penn’s Dr. Robert Vonderheide, also an ACGT Investigator. “Imagine a vaccine that prevents cancer in the first place.” He said current research has developed a vaccine that can, in certain lab conditions, prevent cancer from relapsing.