PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Spring2018 - 4

p h i l a m e d s o c  .org

Letter from the president

An Example of Great Medicine and
Science Right Here in Our City

P
Cadence A. Kim,
MD, FACS
President

We Welcome
Your Comments!
They should be sent
to our email address at
editor@philamedsoc.org.
If you would like your
comments considered for
publication, please
include your name,
town, and phone number.

hiladelphia has always been home to great medicine and science. We
have an amazing number of academic institutions for such a small city.
It is an intellectually vibrant and stimulating environment fertile for
research and discovery. One of the most exciting things to happen in medicine and
science was the FDA's approval of the first gene therapy in pediatric and young adult
patients with a form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Our cover story is dedicated
to one of the pioneers directly responsible for bringing this lifesaving therapy to the
prime time, Dr. Carl June.

Carl H. June, M.D., is the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in
the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in Penn's Perelman School
of Medicine and Director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies in the
Abramson Cancer Center. He found the collegial, intellectually stimulating and
professional atmosphere in Philadelphia ideal for his work. His story is amazing
and it is our privilege to share it with you.
Dr. June is in good company when it comes to medical pioneers in our city.
Since the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment opened at Children's Hospital
of Philadelphia, and started doing fetal surgeries in 1995, CHOP surgeons have
saved more than 15,000 lives. We examine what the center has accomplished
under the leadership of Dr. N. Scott Adzick. We look at his first fetal surgery at
CHOP - the case of Roberto Rodriguez Jr., who had a life-threatening growth on
his left lung when he was in his mother's uterus.
In another story, we learn of the advances in medicine for women who cannot
bear children because their uterus won't support a pregnancy, or in rare cases they
were born without a uterus. Dr. Kathleen O'Neill is heading a team of physicians
at the University of Pennsylvania who offer women suffering uterine factor
infertility a chance to become pregnant. Dr. Nicholas Nowartski describes the
program for us. It is only the third in the country, and soon it will begin trials.
The World Health Organization has called for the elimination of viral
hepatitis by 2030. Philadelphia's trying to do its part, although the city's efforts
are complicated by the rise in opioid abuse. We give an overview of the problem
in the city, and what the Philadelphia Department of Public Health is doing to
confront it.

EDITORIAL BOARD
* Michael DellaVecchia, MD, PhD, FACS
* Corina Graziani, MD
* Alan Miceli, MA, Editor

4

Philadelphia Medicine : Spring 2018

* Nicholas E. Nowotarski, MD
* Susan Robbins, MD, MPH, FAAP
* Paul D. Siegel, MD
https://philamedsoc.org/
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PCMS_Philadelphia_Medicine_Spring2018
