USC Researchers Win NEMO Prize for Innovations in Cancer Treatment

This year’s recipients of the prestigious NEMO Prize are making significant strides in the fight against pediatric brain tumors and challenging forms of leukemia. Their innovative approaches merge medical and engineering disciplines at the University of Southern California (USC), showcasing the power of interdisciplinary collaboration.

The NEMO Prize, established in 2023 through a generous donation from Shelly and Ofer Nemirovsky, promotes cooperative research between the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the university’s health sciences schools. As university funding becomes increasingly constrained, private support is crucial for enabling groundbreaking research. “Funding from private sources for smart ideas in their nascent stages is critical,” stated Shelly Nemirovsky, a USC trustee and alumna.

Steven D. Shapiro, senior vice president for health affairs, emphasized the potential impact of the therapies developed through these awards, noting their promise for curing diseases with historically low survival rates. “These scientists are creating the next generation of therapies that so many cancer patients are counting on for a cure,” he said.

Innovative Approaches to Leukemia

The challenges of treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have inspired the work of Keyue Shen and Yali Dou. Shen, an associate professor at USC Viterbi, and Dou, a professor at the Keck School of Medicine, focus on the unique metabolic profiles of leukemia cells, which often change under treatment stress. With funding from the NEMO Prize, they aim to develop a predictive biomarker based on these metabolic signals.

“AML is a disease that affects older patients very aggressively,” Dou noted, highlighting the need for precision therapies. The team’s innovative technology captures metabolic features in live cells and employs artificial intelligence to predict patient responses to therapies. This pioneering approach could significantly enhance treatment personalization for AML patients.

“By using this technology, we hope to tailor therapies earlier and more precisely,” said Shen. Their collaboration with the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center aims to facilitate rapid translation of their findings into clinical applications.

Transforming Pediatric Brain Tumor Treatment

In addressing high-grade glioma (HGG), a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children, a team comprising Longwei Liu, Sarah Richman, and Yingxiao Wang is exploring new therapies. The five-year survival rate for HGG is alarmingly low at just 20%. Their NEMO Prize-winning proposal integrates advanced molecular engineering with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell research focused on pediatric patients.

The success of CAR T cell therapy in leukemia has prompted interest in applying similar strategies to HGG. However, existing approaches have faced challenges with effectiveness and toxicity. Richman’s lab is investigating how to refine CAR T cells for improved safety and efficacy in treating brain tumors.

“Our method employs ultrasound to control CAR T cells, enhancing treatment efficacy while minimizing toxicity to surrounding healthy tissue,” explained Wang. This novel technique combines a robust CAR T cell with a standard variant to improve targeting of microscopic cancerous cells.

The team anticipates initiating patient treatment within the next five years, with hopes that their innovative approach could extend beyond brain tumors to other cancers and diseases.

The collaboration among researchers has proven vital to their success. “The NEMO Prize will be critical for us to test the idea we want to implement,” said Wang, emphasizing its role in securing future funding for clinical trials.

Looking forward, both teams recognize the importance of USC’s collaborative environment and the financial backing provided by the NEMO Prize. As Shelly Nemirovsky articulated, the intersection of engineering and medicine is where transformative ideas can flourish. “In isolation, those disciplines may not recognize their potential, but in combination, imagination is ignited,” she stated.

The groundbreaking work of these USC researchers not only showcases the potential of interdisciplinary collaboration but also offers hope for patients facing devastating diagnoses. With the support of the NEMO Prize, they are poised to make significant advancements in cancer treatment.