The Medical Advisor

Patrick Soon-Shiong is back in the spotlight with early data from his Bioshield regimen in recurrent glioblastoma. The inventor of Abraxane and a transplant surgeon, Soon-Shiong says the approach could finally move the needle in one of oncology’s toughest indications. In a series of posts on X , the ImmunityBio executive chairman called glioblastoma “medicine’s biggest challenge,” pointing to decades of limited progress with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Standard regimens, he noted, in 90% of cases deplete lymphocytes, crippling NK and T cells and leaving patients prone to relapse. The new approach—described as a “chemo-free” combination of Bioshield (Cancer Vaccine*), NK cell therapy plus an immune-stimulating device—aims to protect and rescue the immune system rather than destroy it. *Note: Cancer vaccinations come in two varieties: preventative and therapeutic. Preventative vaccines allow the immune system to recognize an antigen and activate the immune system before deleteri...

For most of the 20th century, scientists pictured the immune system as the body’s ever-vigilant army—standing guard against germs, viruses, and rogue cells. Yet one question remained: What keeps this army from mistakenly attacking the body itself? For millions with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as Type 1 diabetes or lupus, the question is personal—these life-long illnesses bring painful symptoms and harsh immune-suppressing treatments. This year’s Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine honored the discoveries that transformed that understanding. Researchers Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi identified a rare class of immune cells— regulatory T cells, or Tregs . These cells help prevent our immune systems from going out of control through a specialized gene called FOXP3. Often called peacekeepers, these Tregs changed how scientists think about autoimmunity, inflammation, and balance in the immune system itself. “It [the Nobel award announcement] gave me goo...