Norman Sharpless

Chemotherapy and ionizing radiation are known to promote clonal hematopoiesis and its progression to leukemia. By inducing temporary quiescence of hematopoietic stem cells during external stress might we mitigate CH expansion? We address this through a collaboration with @AbdelWahablab @PuZhang09980432: nature.com/articles/s4158…. Excited to share this and some thoughts from a recent meeting in Hiroshima which puts this work in a broader perspective.

🩸 ASH Plenary Spotlight CDK4/6 inhibition may mitigate chemotherapy-induced expansion of TP53-mutant clonal hematopoiesis. Across three randomized trials, trilaciclib reduced growth of DNA damage response CH clones during chemotherapy. In murine models: • CDK4/6 inhibition before carboplatin suppressed expansion of Trp53-mutant HSPCs • Quiescence of WT HSPCs was preserved • Increased apoptosis observed in Trp53-mutant cells These data suggest that inducing HSPC quiescence with CDK4/6 inhibition may be a strategy to reduce therapy-related myeloid neoplasm risk. #ASH25 #HemeTwitter #CH #tMN @ASH_hematology

This article from @KFFHealthNews is disinformation. It’s an insult to readers seeking honest reporting about NIH and misleads prospective patients who may need lifesaving care at @NIHClinicalCntr. Inpatient admissions at hospitals nationwide are in a long-term decline. But there was an abnormal drop at @NIHClinicalCntr when the Biden administration failed to return back to pre-Covid levels of clinical trials. Our data confirms this, and we’re restoring trial activities to where they should be. KFF lied to the public about @NIHClinicalCntr by cherry picking one number to fit a political agenda. We will continue to inform you when this happens.

🤠 👉🏽 🗽 news: I will be joining @nyulangone on September 1, 2025 as Director of the GI Cancer Center & Associate Director of Translational Research at @Perlmutter_CC. I am excited to start the next chapter of the Maitra Lab in NYC & build a strong GI cancer research program.

🧵 Twenty-five years ago, it was common to hear complaints about a “drug lag”—the perception that Europeans routinely enjoyed medical advances years before their American counterparts. Through a generation of congressional actions, investments in expertise and hiring, and careful policymaking, we built the FDA into the most efficient, forward-leaning drug regulatory agency in the world—and established the U.S. as the global center of biopharmaceutical innovation. Today, the cumulative barrage on that drug-discovery enterprise, threatens to swiftly bring back those frustrating delays for American consumers, particularly affecting rare diseases and areas of significant unmet medical need.

How the @NIH dominates the world’s health research — in charts. Great comments by @MiriamMerad nature.com/articles/d4158…

Nearly 100 NIH study sections were canceled in the past month. Here is a list of the canceled meetings, compiled by Annika Barber at Rutgers Univ. As a result, the process of biomedical science funding has been halted in the United States. tinyurl.com/5auw74s4

So what's happening with medical research in the US? This is the cumulative award count from the NIH for the year. Doesn't look so good. But it gets worse. 1/

Time to re-up this. Congrats to Larry T on a great career at NIH. A wonderful Fed.

If we want to thoughtfully reduce NIH indirect costs, we need to reduce the federal regulatory burden that causes universities to hire so many administrators to remain compliant.

Every year, ~90,000 teens and young adults receive a cancer diagnosis. Programs like those at @UNC_Lineberger—an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center—help young people navigate treatment, enroll in trials, and get fertility counseling. Read more: go.nih.gov/spJyrrI

Novocure and its Tumor Treating Fields (TTF) Modality meets its Phase 3 trial primary endpoint of improving survival in local advanced #PancreaticCancer (LAPC). Caveats are several: - modest improvement in survival (one of those statistically significant but “is it meaningful” improvements): 14.1 months to 16.2 months. Not Gem + Erlotinib level but not that far either. - the backbone is Gem Abraxane, not FOLFIRINOX which has shown overall survival longer than the TTF combo by itself in LAPC, if the patient can tolerate the therapy. In that regard this regimen might be beneficial in an older, less fit population of LAPC patients. - I guess we should always celebrate a phase 3 success in pancreatic cancer (especially in the challenging LAPC setting) although this is not a home run.

A single-cell atlas of aging tissue demonstrates shared multi-omics of aging and cancer hallmarks nature.com/articles/s4358… @NatureAging @jacksonlab @justsaysinmice @OlgaAnczukow

The rise of industry-sponsored cancer clinical trial enrollment from 2008 to 2022, now surpassing NIH-sponsored trials, highlights a shift in oncology research priorities. This trend may limit opportunities for addressing broader, patient-centered questions that are not commercially driven, potentially hindering progress in areas like prevention and survivorship. Check out our editorial @JCO_ASCO on Bridging the Gap in Cancer Clinical Trial Funding @nes047 @UNC_Lineberger ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.12…

@PTarantinoMD @YAbdouMD @JCO_ASCO A link to the editorial by @YAbdouMD @nes047 @UNC_Lineberger ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.12… worth reading!

Out in JCO: the ratio of enrollment to Industry- vs Federally-sponsored trials doubled between 2008-2022. This led to an acceleration in drug development, but less trials exploring de-escalation or non-drug-related questions. Great editorial by @YAbdouMD. ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JC…

An important study by F. Eun-Hyung Lee's team shows that long lived plasma cells (the source of long-term circulating antibodies) fail to establish after mRNA vaccination (even combined with SARS-CoV-2 infection). 🧵 (1/) nature.com/articles/s4159…

I'm excited to announce that @NCICCHE Director Dr. Sanya Springfield will be an acting deputy director at @theNCI – in this new role, she'll be charged with broadening and strengthening our cancer health equity and inclusion efforts. #EndingCancerAsWeKnowIt for all.

I'm honored to present #SCLC updates at the 2nd annual Thomas C. Shea Clinical Cancer Symposium on Monday, September 23rd from the @UNC_Lineberger cancer center alongside Drs. @DrJaredWeiss @JulieBrahmer Mark Socinski @nes047 and others! In person @The_Umstead in Cary, NC!

Leading the @AmericanCancer Society + @ACSCAN is the honor of a lifetime. Over the last 3.5 years, we increased our impact and focused on improving the lives of cancer patients. I love this org! With ACS on strong footing and having accomplished what I came to achieve, today I announce my plans to hand over the reins...more to come. pressroom.cancer.org/releases?item=…