In 2022, Basser Center co-founders Mindy and Jon Gray announced a $55 million gift to launch the new Basser Cancer Interception Institute (BCII). This Institute aims to dramatically disrupt the timeline of BRCA1/2 cancer treatment, intercepting cells as they begin to develop into very early cancers, and halt or reverse that process. Basser Executive Director Susan Domchek, MD and her colleagues are launching many initiatives for the new Institute, such as leading a study testing a cancer vaccine in men and women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.
Interception in Action at the Basser Center
What is cancer interception?
Cancer interception involves intercepting disease when the very first abnormal cells develop. “Better understanding the molecular biology in which a normal cell becomes a cancer cell is key to understanding the best way to intercept it,” Dr. Domchek noted. “There’s a lot of basic science driving what we’re doing, and the purpose of the Institute is to figure out as many of these different possible directions as we can.”
Cancer Prevention Vaccine Clinical Trial
Dr. Domchek spearheaded the BCII-funded study aimed to intercept cancer by pushing the immune system toward recognizing and destroying early abnormal cells before they grow into full-fledged cancer. This strategy involved using DNA medicine, developed with Philadelphia biotech company Inovio Pharmaceuticals, to train the immune system, specifically T cells, to recognize an enzyme called telomerase that’s involved in about 95 percent of human cancers.
BCII-Funded Research Projects
The Basser Cancer Interception Institute funds many research studies related to cancer interception across Penn Medicine and other external organizations.
