hope for head and neck cancer | Washington University School of Medicine led a phase 3 clinical trial to test the effectiveness of immunotherapy in treating head and neck cancer. The trial centered on the drug pembrolizumab, which has already been approved for the treatment of melanoma. The team found that patients who received the drug saw greater tumor shrinkage and survived cancer-free on average almost two years longer than those who did not. “The survival benefit we’ve seen in adding pembrolizumab to standard-of-care therapy for patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer is clinically meaningful and groundbreaking,” says co-senior author Dr. Douglas R. Adkins, a professor of medicine and director of the Section of Head and Neck and Thyroid Medical Oncology.
stopping west nile virus
Saint Louis University’s Center for Vaccine Development is launching a clinical trial to study the safety and immune response elicited by a new investigational vaccine for West Nile virus. Currently, there is no approved vaccine or treatment for the virus, which is primarily transmitted to people through a mosquito bite. While most people do not have a reaction to the virus, around 1 in 150 develops severe illness with neuroinvasive disease. “The disease can cause brain disease, paralysis or sometimes death in people who are aged or have weak immune systems, so we need to develop a safe protective vaccine as a tool in our arsenal against the virus,” says principal investigator
Dr. Sarah George, professor of infectious diseases, allergy and immunology.
national recognition
Shriners Children’s St. Louis orthopedic surgeon Dr. J. Eric Gordon received the prestigious Humanitarian Award from the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America. Gordon, who is also a professor of orthopedic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine, works with children throughout the Eastern Caribbean and beyond. Working with World Pediatrics and traveling to the region several times a year, he has evaluated more than 1,500 children and performed more than 170 surgeries there. “Dr. Gordon first said ‘yes’ to us 20 years ago, and he has never stopped,” says Kate Corbett, World Pediatrics program director. “From treating our first patient with a rare orthopedic condition to leading surgical missions across the Caribbean, he has given his time, heart and expertise without hesitation.”
new life, new hope.
Mercy hospitals across the Midwest are implementing a new program that offers moms a way to help others after they give birth. The initiative allows them to donate their birth tissue for research. “Our patients expressed interest in helping others by donating tissues, such as the placenta, when they are no longer needed,” says Dr. Margaret Marcrander, Mercy St. Louis chief of staff and practicing OB/GYN. “By offering the option to donate, we enable our patients to have successful birth plans while helping future patients.” Donating newborn tissue is done at no cost for patients and can potentially benefit up to 100 people. It also cuts down on medical waste as placenta is typically discarded following birth.
