NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – Wei R. Chen, Ph.D., Stephenson Chair, Professor and Interim Director of the Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, recently organized a session titled Immunophotonics for the Gordon Research Conference Optics and Photonics in Medicine and Biology, held from July 7 to 12, in Lewiston, Maine. Chen also gave an oral presentation, "Localized Immunophotonics for the Treatment of Metastatic Cancers" at the conference.
Chen presented recent results of pre-clinical and clinical results in cancer treatment using their novel immunophotonics technology. Chen’s doctoral students, Trisha Valerio and Coline Furrer, also presented their research results at the conference with posters.
Chen is a pioneer in the field of immunophotonics. His research team is among the first to use biophotonics to induce immune responses to treat late stage, metastatic cancers through the abscopal effect — a phenomenon when a local therapy shrinks not only the targeted tumor, but other untargeted tumors in the body. Specifically, Chen’s team developed a unique combination of laser ablation and a novel immunological drug for the treatment of late-stage, metastatic cancers through local intervention.
Chen is a co-founder of Immunophotonics, Inc. and has served as a member of its Board of Directors since its inception. Immunophotonics has been conducting clinical trials in Europe for the past several years. In 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a phase 1b/2a multiple center clinical trial for late-stage patients with colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and soft tissue sarcoma, using the novel therapy developed by Chen’s team.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. OU was named the state’s highest-ranking university in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent Best Colleges list. For more information about the university, visit ou.edu.
Mary Margaret Holt, dean of the University of Oklahoma Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, has been honored with the Paseo Arts Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her leadership and contributions to Oklahoma’s arts community.
With winter weather already bringing low temperatures to the state, the Oklahoma Poison Center is urging residents to take extra precautions to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning as they begin heating their homes for the winter season. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be deadly when inhaled in large quantities, and it poses a heightened risk as people rely on heating devices for warmth during cold weather.
Thanks to support from the Chickasaw Nation, the University of Oklahoma College of Law has announced the continuation and expansion of the Chickasaw Nation – Henry Family Lecture Series. Under the new name, the event will continue to showcase thought-provoking discourse surrounding the rule of law.
