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.
The University of Oklahoma has received a transformative gift from Jon and Shannon McCartney, which will name the McCartney Family Tunnel of Champions, the McCartney Family Gate of the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and the McCartney Family Grand Lecture Hall in the Michael F. Price College of Business. The gift will also support the Inspiring Champions and the Athletic Director’s Discretionary Fund, in addition to establishing the McCartney DFW Career Trek program at Price College.
The University of Oklahoma today celebrated the opening of a new air traffic control tower at the OU Max Westheimer Airport. Standing 106 feet tall, more than double the current 52-foot facility, the new tower will modernize air traffic control operations and improve safety for pilots and students operating in the airspace.
Do I buy groceries or pay the electric bill? Should I pawn some of my belongings to afford my prescription? My child is sick, so I will have to miss work to take care of him. Those are just a few of the difficult choices that OU-Tulsa health professional students confronted during the Community Access to Resources Experience. The role-playing activity challenged students to navigate the financial, family and other pressures that can affect a person’s health and ability to follow medical advice. Held annually during the SCM Institute orientation week, the experience is designed to generate understanding and build empathy.
