Drs. Brian Wigdahl, Noreen Robertson, Kenny Simansky, Mauricio Reginato and Alessandro Fatatis represented Drexel during a site visit when the National Cancer Institute assigned the consortium comprehensive status.
By Natalie Kostelni
Before grocery shopping at her local ShopRite on a warm summer day in 2022, a 47-year-old woman paused to have a 20-minute phone call with her “coach.”
The coach, a staff member with expertise in behavioral change affiliated with the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Consortium, talked with her about the foods she would buy and ultimately prepare for family meals.
The woman is typical of the 62 participants in an NIH-funded study conducted by Meghan Butryn, PhD, associate head of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Drexel’s College of Arts and Sciences, and Thomas Jefferson University’s Nicole Simone, MD. Butryn and Simone, along with Andrew Chapman, DO, who is director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and executive vice president of cancer research and oncology services at Jefferson, are involved in a cross-disciplinary, multi-institutional program through the cancer center that explores how lifestyle modification can reduce cancer and improve longevity.
Most participants in the study were overweight and ate diets primarily of processed foods high in salt, added sugar and saturated fat — a recipe for elevated cancer risk. Over the course of the project, the investigators tested various interventions aimed at helping participants switch to healthier foods known to prevent cancer, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
By the end of the 20-week study, participants who engaged in conversations and feedback with a coach about their food purchases and whose household members were asked to join some sessions showed a marked improvement in making wholesome food purchases.
“This shows that basic, clinical and behavioral scientists need to be part of the team working together to answer how to help adults to make healthy food choices, get sufficient physical activity, and control their weight,” Butryn concluded. “Simply telling patients to do certain things is not effective — additional tools that behavioral science can provide need to be part of the equation.”
The study results, recently published in the journal Cancer Control, represent the type of transdisciplinary insights possible through the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Consortium — a partnership between Drexel University and Thomas Jefferson University charged with reducing cancer incidence in Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey. Scientific collaborations between the universities, initially focused on biomedical science, biomedical engineering and public health, have expanded in the past few years. Now, a total of seven of Drexel’s colleges and schools are formal members serving the mission, bringing a breadth of interdisciplinary expertise to bear on the consortium’s work that has the potential to spawn transformative prevention and treatment approaches.
“Working Together is Critical”
In April 2024, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) recognized the collaborative power of the consortium by awarding what was formerly known as the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center with its “comprehensive cancer center” designation, the highest recognition possible.
“Drexel contributed three major components to the cancer center that helped it earn the NCI comprehensive designation,” explained Kenny J. Simansky, PhD, who serves as senior vice dean for research at Drexel’s College of Medicine, where he oversees the consortium partnership with Noreen Robertson, DMD, senior associate vice dean for research.
First, since the inception of the research consortium in 2013, Drexel faculty have contributed substantial, funded cancer research to the basic and translational biomedical science research enterprise. Drexel’s NCI, NIH and other federal funding counted in the credentials required for designation.
“In addition,” Simansky continued, “the national and international reputations of Drexel’s biomedical scientists elevated the overall reputation of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center.” Drexel’s biomedical scientists — to date, primarily from the College of Medicine — greatly increased opportunities for collaboration with Jefferson faculty, expanding the scale and creativity of grant applications.
Then in 2021, Drexel and Jefferson signed a new consortium agreement that formally included other research-intensive schools at Drexel: the Dornsife School of Public Health, the College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP), the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems (BIOMED), the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Computing and Informatics and the College of Engineering.
The broad reach of this new arrangement was one of the distinguishing elements of the center’s NCI application, Simansky said. The strength of population and data scientists from Drexel faculty — especially but not exclusively in the Dornsife School of Public Health — lend fuel to the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center’s programs in population science, which is an area necessary for “comprehensive” status.
The contributions of Drexel’s colleagues in other colleges and schools add knowledge and innovation in biomedical engineering, materials science, imaging, nutrition science, caregiving, aging and other areas.
“There is power in having multiple, converging perspectives from all of these accomplished experts from Drexel,” Simansky said.
Across all of this, Drexel brings expertise in addressing health disparities and improving access to and delivery of high-quality clinical care in cancer. This has created a strong platform to supercharge efforts to reduce cancer, raise awareness, and support prevention across the region.
“It’s very powerful because you are harnessing the resources and expertise that each university has to offer and they are complementary,” said Chapman, the cancer center’s director. “The consortium is enhancing the cancer center’s ability to do cutting-edge science.”
Formally bringing multiple Drexel schools to the consortium bolsters the ability of Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center to accomplish its mission, Robertson said, by enhancing the ability to do transdisciplinary, high-impact research. Second, she said, there is a clear focus on addressing the problems in the cancer center’s catchment area, and it will provide effective training programs for basic, clinical and population health science.
“Now that we are here, know where we are going and who is involved, the next step for the consortium is to make it transformational,” Robertson said. “Working together is critical.”
“That Initial Connection”
The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center is among just 57 health care facilities to earn the NCI comprehensive cancer center designation nationwide. Locally, it joins the ranks of University of Pennsylvania Health System's Abramson Cancer Center and Temple Health's Fox Chase Cancer Center. New York is the only other city in the country with three NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers.
The NCI designation signifies that the cancer center has met the criteria for cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research aimed at developing new and improved methods of cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The distinction also indicates the center maintains expertise in laboratory services, clinical care and population-based research.
The foundation for Drexel’s partnership with Jefferson was first laid in 2009 when Alessandro Fatatis, MD, PhD, professor of pharmacology and physiology at Drexel, was invited by Karen Knudsen, MBA, PhD, then associate professor of cancer biology at Thomas Jefferson University, to co-lead the prostate cancer working group and then the Biology of Prostate Cancer Program.
“That initial connection helped plant the seeds for a greater partnership between Jefferson and Drexel,” Fatatis said.
After serving as the director of the cancer center from 2015 to 2021, Knudsen later moved on to become CEO of the American Cancer Society, but subsequent leaders at the cancer center cultivated the partnership. In 2011, then-Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center Director Richard G. Pestell, MD, PhD, initiated discussions with Simansky about forming a consortium; the agreement was formalized by President John Fry two years later.
Now with comprehensive status, the consortium aims to take advantage of all the “less typical” expertise not always directly associated with cancer research and care that Drexel has to offer, Simansky said.
“Jefferson and Drexel are two institutions with long, complementary histories,” said Charles B. Cairns, MD, the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean of the College of Medicine and senior vice president of medical affairs at Drexel. “The aspiration is how do we make this work and find new discoveries and improve outcomes for patients? We want to, frankly, change the world.”
It may not seem immediately obvious how some of the disciplines included in the consortium contribute to cancer research, but potential abounds. For example, there are insights into caregiving in cancer from the College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) where experts have addressed similar challenges in aged individuals; population science data analysis from the Dornsife School of Public Health; gene expression analysis and computational biology at the College of Medicine and the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems (BIOMED); applications for artificial intelligence and machine learning at the College of Computing & Informatics and the College of Medicine; and the tech transfer know-how of the Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program.
Engineering colleagues extend the consortium’s reach in innovative science as cell-and-gene therapy research proliferates in the region, said Paul W. Brandt-Rauf, ScD, MD, DrPH, dean of BIOMED. “To go from lab to mass market you have to scale it so it’s reachable and affordable to a large population; that is what biomedical engineering accomplishes,” he said.
Other colleges already play an extensive role in cancer research, prevention and treatment, but bring distinctive approaches to the consortium. Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili, PhD, RN, senior associate dean for research within CNHP, has long studied nutrition and aging. She sees cancer as a chronic condition of aging and studies ways to integrate nutrition and novel technologies to improve health outcomes and quality of life for older adults with a diagnosis. As a nurse scientist, DiMaria-Ghalili brings the joint perspectives of bedside experience and clinical science to the academic mission.
The CNHP is also supporting the consortium by analyzing the downstream effects of cancer and helping people recover, she said. “It can range from the side effects of a new drug discovery or recovery from a major surgery to nutritional, physical, and mental care and support,” she said.
“We also have the important role of training future health care practitioners and researchers,” she said.
Through the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Drexel faculty members contribute greatly to training the next generation of basic, translational and clinical scientists studying cancer, Simansky said. This includes doctoral graduate and postdoctoral training, medical residents and fellows, and junior faculty.
In addition, the clinical research office at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center trains nurse research coordinators and other support personnel to drive clinical trials that are so critical to the mission of NCI-designated cancer centers.
Drexel is also deeply involved in cell and gene therapy (CGT) and other emerging areas of the life sciences industry. The University has been instrumental in helping to establish University City as an innovation neighborhood by partnering in the development of uCity Square and Schuylkill Yards, which cater to startups from a range of industries but with a concentration in life sciences.
“A Springboard to Grant-Funding Submissions”
The NCI encourages interdisciplinary collaborations among scientists and with other cancer centers, and the variety of schools and colleges at Drexel are a huge strength, said Fatatis. As associate director for basic research at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, he is responsible for coordinating nearly 150 basic science researchers within the research consortium across both universities.
He has found early success in organizing working groups in targeted areas.
“There is a real synergy between Jefferson and Drexel,” Fatatis said. “Drexel has tremendous potential with the level of faculty knowledge and skill, which hasn’t been fully tapped. I think this is just the beginning.”
The ability to focus teams of cancer researchers in areas that have a potentially large impact on treatment and patient care also helps when applying for large NCI grants. Fatatis is in the early stages of organizing several working groups in which each will zero in on specific cancers prevalent in the catchment area. These include, for example, studies of the mechanisms by which viruses cause cancer. Although it has been established that certain viruses, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Epstein-Barr and human papilloma virus are oncogenic, the pathways to cancer are only partially known. In addition, HIV is a recognized agent for cancer and HIV-positive individuals are more prone to develop cancer than non-infected individuals. The College of Medicine has great strength in all aspects of HIV infection, from molecular mechanisms to population science and clinical care.
“These working groups could be a springboard into multiple grant-funding submissions,” he said. “It’s clear the NCI and NIH want collaboration and we know there is power in collaboration. I am implementing a grant submission strategy by which two or three principal investigators participate from different labs and/or institutions, with each contributing their own expertise. You can compound that and it’s very powerful.”
Comprehensive cancer centers transform scientific breakthroughs into new treatments and, among other endeavors, are responsible for leading early-phase clinical trials and recruiting patients for trials within the NCI’s cooperative groups.
Teams involving Drexel and Jefferson researchers already have several oncology trials underway. For example, a phase 1 study was launched with patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, which is the most common kidney cancer, and a new immune therapy is undergoing a first-in-human study for those suffering from advanced prostate cancer.
Other clinical trials with positive results have been published in prominent medical publications including the New England Journal of Medicine. Some examples:
- Phase 3 trial showing a three-year overall survival for metastatic uveal melanoma: Uveal melanoma is a rare form of cancer that manifests in the uvea, which is the middle layer of the wall of an eye. It accounts for up to 5% of all melanomas and if it spreads to other organs the prognosis is poor. A phase 3 clinical trial has shown promising results for Tebentafusp, a T-cell receptor that redirects T-cells to kill melanoma cells, saving lives.
- Phase 3 trial for the treatment of advanced RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer: An inherited gene mutation can increase the incidence of medullary thyroid cancer, a rare and deadly type. A trial comparing selpercatinib, a drug designed to inhibit a protein that can drive cancer growth, as first-line therapy compared with two other common treatments improved survival and stalled disease progression.
- Phase 3 trial for the treatment of advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer: Patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent endometrial cancer who were randomly assigned to receive dostarlimab, a monoclonal antibody that stunts the growth and spread of cancer cells, had improved outcomes.
“Education, Awareness and Access”
Community connections will be central to the consortium’s success in reducing cancer rates through prevention and practical interventions.
Inside the cancer center’s catchment area of five million people — covering the counties of Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, and Burlington, Camden and Gloucester in New Jersey — cancer incidence and mortality rates disproportionately exceed state-wide and national averages for almost all cancers.
Annette Gadegbeku, who will serve as a liaison connecting Drexel and Jefferson researchers with the needs of the local community, was recently appointed assistant director for belonging, justie, diversity, equity and inclusion at the cancer center. Photo credit Jeff Fusco.
Data show breast, colorectal, lung, myeloma and prostate cancer are most prevalent, and their oft-delayed diagnosis frequently translates into dire prognosis for those suffering from the disease.
“The earlier you catch cancer, the better chances you have treating it,” said Mauricio Reginato, PhD, who is chair of biochemistry and molecular biology and director of the graduate program in cancer biology at Drexel and program leader of the Translational & Cellular Oncology Program at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is leading a research team to investigate drugs that can kill breast cancer cells when the cancer has spread to the brain. “If you wait and wait, it can turn into other diseases, making it very difficult to treat,” he says.
To realize its ambitious mission, researchers must grapple with a host of challenges, says Annette Gadegbeku, MD, associate professor of family, community and preventive medicine and associate dean for community health in the College of Medicine at Drexel.
“Our catchment area includes communities that are highly underserved and historically disadvantaged,” says Gadegbeku, a practicing physician and long-standing advocate of community engagement. She was recently appointed assistant director for belonging, justice, diversity, equity and inclusion at the cancer center, where she will serve as liaison between Drexel and Jefferson collaborators, encouraging consortium researchers to center their work on collaboration, community needs and the elimination of health disparities.
“Education, awareness and access are all areas of opportunity for us,” she says. “As we provide opportunities for screening and follow up, we can promote early detection, decrease mortality and morbidity, and improve outcomes. We know the more collaborators we have sharing resources, the better we can achieve that and have an impact.”
As currently defined, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center’s catchment area is one of the most dynamic regions in the country. Its residents speak more than 45 languages and, in some of the counties, nearly half to two-thirds identify with a minority race or ethnicity. Pockets of populations within the catchment struggle with so-termed “adverse social determinants of health,” such as inadequate health insurance coverage, high smoking rates, and obesity rates linked to neighborhoods in or near food deserts.
“If there is one number that determines the most about your health, it’s your ZIP code,” BIOMED Dean Brandt-Rauf said. “Where you live determines so much about your access to the food you eat, the education you receive, the health care you receive.”
Mistrust of medical professionals within minority populations is a major obstacle to addressing these issues, Gadegbeku said. But she’s seen firsthand how community outreach can pay off.
Early in her 17-year career, Gadegbeku observed a rise in abnormal pap smears and cervical cancer primarily among her African American patients. As messaging increased about the HPV vaccine and other preventative measures, rates began to decline.
“That is promising,” she said. “We know early detection, screenings and awareness save lives. Underserved and minoritized populations may or may not have as much cancer, but they are being detected at later stages and that brings about poor outcomes for treatments and survival. Those are some of the trends we see in the catchment area, and we are working to reverse those trends.”