Posts by: Marisa Wexler, MS

Marisa Wexler, MS

Marisa holds an MS in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied novel genetic drivers of ovarian cancer. She specializes in cancer biology, immunology, and genetics. Marisa began working with BioNews in 2018, and has written about science and health for SelfHacked and the Genetics Society of America. She also writes/composes musicals and coaches the University of Pittsburgh fencing club.

August 3, 2020August 3, 2020

FDA Approves Tecentriq Combo for Certain Advanced Melanomas

News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the immunotherapy Tecentriq (atezolizumab), in combination with Cotellic (cobimetinib) and Zelboraf (vemurafenib), for the treatment of BRAF V600 mutation-positive advanced melanoma. ... Read more

March 2, 2020March 2, 2020

Researchers Develop Safer CAR T-cell That Can Be Temporarily Turned ‘Off’

News

Researchers have developed a potentially safer CAR T-cell product — one with a “safety switch” — that can be deactivated in the presence of specific molecules, a new study ... Read more

January 27, 2020February 26, 2020

Newly Discovered T-cell Receptor May Lead to More ‘Universal’ Cancer Therapy, Study Suggests

News

A newly discovered receptor in T-cells — immune cells with the ability to kill tumors — makes these cells able to recognize and eliminate several cancer types, without harming ... Read more

September 13, 2019

Nanotechnology May Help Get Immunotherapy Into the Brain, Mouse Study Says

News

Immunotherapies have shown little efficacy in brain cancers due to their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Now, however, researchers have developed a new nanotechnology approach that allowed immune ... Read more

August 27, 2019September 6, 2019

Study Explains Checkpoint Inhibitors’ Efficacy in PD-L1 Negative Tumors

News

Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-L1 molecule appear to activate immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells, a new study says. This finding may explain why some tumors are ... Read more

February 1, 2019February 1, 2019

Tumors with More Mutations Respond Better to Immunotherapy, Study Suggests

News

A new study suggests that tumors with more mutations respond better to immunotherapy. But determining what constitutes a “high” number of mutations in a given tumor type, and implementing ... Read more

January 8, 2019

Certain Brain Tumors May Respond to Immunotherapies, Other Approved Treatments

News

Most neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients with slow-growing brain tumors contain high numbers of tumor-killing immune cells, making them likely to respond to immunotherapies, a global study suggests. The study, “The ... Read more

January 4, 2019

Obesity Plays Paradoxical Role in Cancer, Study Shows

News

Obesity is known to promote cancer, but, paradoxically, obese cancer patients may respond better to cancer immunotherapy, a recent study has found. The study, “Paradoxical effects of obesity on ... Read more

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