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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD

@jbrandmdphd.bsky.social
1.1K followers 526 following 46 posts

Physician-Scientist at Univ of Penn, treating/studying Castleman Disease, histiocytic disorders, and lymphoma. Stroma sleuth. Storming castles. I love immunology! Views are my own, and not medical advice.

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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Say it again: Kids are not little adults. But kids do get Castleman Disease and now we finally better understand what happens when they do: @davidfajgenbaum.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Pediatric Idiopathic Multicentric Castleman Disease Is Often Severe But Responsive to Siltuximab
Background Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a potentially fatal immunologic disorder marked by widespread lymphadenopathy and inflammation. Siltuximab, an interleukin-6 (IL-6) inh...
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Reposted by Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD
Waggoner Lab @labwaggoner.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Also: CXCR4-modification enhances CAR-T efficacy by improving tumor tracking and bone marrow homing in B-cell malignancies @sigtrans-sttt.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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Vijay Rathinam @vijayrathinam.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
A new function for GlycoRNAs!! The GlycoRNA-Heparan sulfate complex on the cell surface controls VEGF-A signaling and angiogenesis. Superexciting findings from Ryan Flynn's lab. Congratulations to all authors!! @raflynn5.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
GlycoRNA complexed with heparan sulfate regulates VEGF-A signalling - Nature
Heparan sulfate proteoglycans facilitate the assembly of clusters of glycoRNAs and cell surface RNA-binding proteins, which negatively modulate VEGF-A signalling and angiogenesis.
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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute @chopresearch.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
In a landmark scientific feat published in NEJM, a CHOP & Penn Medicine team treated the first patient with personalized #genetherapy, designed uniquely for newborn KJ, who was diagnosed with a rare #ureacycledisorder at birth. Learn more: ms.spr.ly/63327Sw92F
Dr. Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas
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Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Today "a milestone in the evolution of personalized therapies for rare & ultra-rare inborn errors of metabolism" —the 1st human to undergo custom genome editing —from decades of NIH funded research www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.... @nejm.org www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.... www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/h...
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Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H) @i3h-upenn.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
A major breakthrough from @pennmedicine.bsky.social: @davidfajgenbaum.bsky.social and team have identified a new subtype—Oligocentric Castleman Disease (OligoCD)—marking the first Castleman discovery in 45 years. This could transform diagnosis and care for thousands. Published in Blood Advances.
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Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H) @i3h-upenn.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Congrats @davidfajgenbaum.bsky.social on being named to the TIME100 Health 2025 list! After being diagnosed with Castleman disease, he found an existing drug that saved his life. Now he’s using AI to repurpose FDA-approved drugs—offering hope to others with hard-to-treat conditions. bit.ly/4kdkgdX
bit.ly
TIME100 Health: David Fajgenbaum
Find out why David Fajgenbaum is on the TIME100 Health 2025 list.
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Blood Journals Portfolio @bloodjournals.hematology.org · 05/05/2025
Oligocentric CD is an intermediate phenotype distinctly characterized from unicentric and iMCD. buff.ly/zOHYxKF #hemesky #clinicaltrialsandobservations
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American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) @theaacr.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
At yesterday's opening ceremony, we asked the cancer community to stand together to make their voices heard in support of innovative cancer science and medicine. #CancerResearchSavesLives® #AACR25
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
There is an OLIGOcentric subtype of Castleman Disease.
pennmedicine.org
First new subtype of Castleman disease discovered in 45 years
The spectrum of the rare disorder is expanded with discovery, highlighting the importance of collaboration with patient advocates.
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Blood Journals Portfolio @bloodjournals.hematology.org · 17/04/2025
CSF reversibly attenuates the efficacy of antifolate drugs, including methotrexate, against leukemia cells. buff.ly/oep9bdx #hemesky #lymphoidneoplasia
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Waggoner Lab @labwaggoner.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
Just a few weeks ago, researchers and educators connected to immunology lost a wonderful friend and colleague: Michael Cancro, professor of pathology and lab medicine at the University of Pennsylvania www.cell.com/immunity/ful... @cp-immunity.bsky.social
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JCI insight @insight.jci.org · 08/04/2025
Our current issue's special collection of Physician-Scientist Development articles includes an editorial by Editor in chief @eickelbergmd.bsky.social & is paired with a cover collage of children's drawings illustrating what a 'physician-scientist' means to them: buff.ly/kQ4fmrg
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Joe Zackular @joeyzacks.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Thank you to Vince Young for this beautiful highlight of our early work developing an mRNA vaccine for C. difficile (Original paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...)
science.org
A multivalent mRNA-LNP vaccine protects against Clostridioides difficile infection
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is an urgent public health threat with limited preventative options. In this work, we developed a messenger RNA (mRNA)–lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vaccine targeti...
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danapeer.bsky.social @danapeer.bsky.social · 06/04/2025
Great advice
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Who thought this was a good idea?
wired.com
The Chaos of NIH Cuts Has Left Early-Career Scientists Scrambling
As graduate programs lose spots and labs face shutdowns following Trump administration cuts to science funding, the path to a science career for students and researchers just got a whole lot harder.
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Rachel Issaka, MD, MAS @issakamd.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
An insightful and troubling investigative report by @anguschen.bsky.social on how gov't cuts are impacting cancer centers, researchers, and patients. As a cancer researcher, I can attest that these cuts are indeed devastating and will set back decades of progress. www.statnews.com/2025/03/24/t...
statnews.com
Cancer research, long protected, feels ‘devastating’ effects under Trump
Cancer research has had bipartisan support. But Trump administration budget cuts and delays threaten to reverse progress of recent years, experts say.
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
"The Clinical Center got a last-minute reprieve after the researchers panicked and protested. DOGE stopped the firing of the intensive care doctors and allowed the N.I.H. to rehire the fired laboratory technicians and blood bank workers."
nytimes.com
‘Chaos and Confusion’ at the N.I.H., the Crown Jewel of American Science
Senior scientists at the National Institutes of Health fear that research on conditions like obesity, heart disease and cancer will be undermined by President Trump’s policies.
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American Society of Hematology @ash.hematology.org · 20/03/2025
ASH understands it's a tough time for #hematology research due to #NIH funding cuts. To support #researchers during this time, ASH's Bridge Grant now offers $150K funding, with waived critiques and no match needed. Learn more: bit.ly/4kBeGmR #ASHAwards #MedSky #Hemesky
The Bridge Grant is a unique program that can be a lifeline to mid-career hematologists who are between funding. This grant supports well-established and promising projects.”
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
Very nice review!
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Shematologist, MD @shematologist.medsky.social · 28/02/2025
It’s Rare Disease Day! Rare diseases are those that affect <200k in the US. Altogether, they affect 30 million in the US & 300 million globally. All pediatric cancers are rare. And >90% of rare diseases have no FDA approved treatment. #MedSky
Hand with rare disease bracelets
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American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) @theaacr.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Today is the AACR Early-Career Hill Day, and we're calling on early-career scientists, trainees, students, and supporters to contact Congress and ask them to prioritize NIH funding. Now more than ever, it's important to take action: AACR.org/NIH #AACRontheHill #FundNIH
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
STAT story is up about study section restart. www.statnews.com/2025/02/24/s...
statnews.com
Some NIH study sections will resume reviewing grants, but final funding decisions are still in limbo
While some NIH study sections will resume, advisory council meetings, which make final funding decisions, seem to still be held up.
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
This! We need help to keep medical research going!! Anyone?
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Stalls Scientific Research Despite Court Ruling
Using an arcane law, officials have effectively delayed funding from the National Institutes of Health, leaving medical studies in jeopardy.
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Yes! Is anyone able to help?
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Caroline Charpentier, PhD @carocharp.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
🚨This should be amplified!! Study sections and council meetings are still being cancelled despite the court order unblocking NIH freezes, effectively halting any new research grant from being funded: www.thetransmitter.org/funding/fede...
thetransmitter.org
Federal Register hold makes ‘end run’ around court pause on NIH funding freeze
NIH-related updates to the Federal Register, which are required for the scheduling of study sections and advisory councils, are on hold indefinitely, according to an email reviewed by <i>The Transmitt...
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Gabriel Rocklin @grocklin.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Feb 4 meeting of National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council CANCELLED. On Feb 6 2024 they approved 8 billion dollars of medical research in those areas. An equivalent sum now missing in 2025. www.nhlbi.nih.gov/events/2024/...
nhlbi.nih.gov
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council February 2024 Meeting Summary
The 306th meeting of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council (NHLBAC) convened virtually on Tuesday, February 6, 2024. The Council meeting began with a closed session that started at 10:...
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American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) @theaacr.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
The AACR is deeply concerned that the Administration’s recent actions are threatening NIH and its mission to accelerate progress for patients with cancer and other diseases that afflict millions of Americans. Read our statement: buff.ly/4gRXNB8
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
YES!
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
It's not unicentric or multicentric: It's OLIGOcentric Castleman!! @bloodjournal.bsky.social
ashpublications.org
Characterizing the heterogeneity of Castleman disease and oligocentric subtype: Findings from the ACCELERATE registry
Key Points. Oligocentric Castleman disease (CD) is an intermediate phenotype distinctly characterized from unicentric and idiopathic multicentric CDOligoce
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Harold Varmus is an American hero. We should listen.
nytimes.com
Opinion | American Science is Under Attack
The Trump administration hobbles research and endangers the public health.
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Hannah R. Abrams @hannahrabrams.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
Statement at #Tandem25 thanking NIH contributors not able to join the meeting took me aback: #OncSky
Thank you to the scheduled speakers and poster authors from all branches of the National Institutes of Health who contributed valuable insights to the Tandem Meetings program but are unable to join us for this year’s meetings.

ASTCT, CIBMTR, and our partner organizations support federal funding for research and advocate year-round to advance scientific discoveries and improve patient outcomes.
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E John Wherry @ejohnwherry.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
This is outstanding. All academic scientists should be required to watch this.
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Ross Levine MD @rosslevinemd.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
I believe that most of our society values science and scientists. We need to continue to communicate our findings and value to the public and advocate for increased research funding, especially for young investigators->they are the future.
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Apparently last week's NHLBI advisory council was cancelled. Worried for my K08 application and hoping for order to return to NIH.
nhlbi.nih.gov
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
The NIH Notice about the new indirect cost rate "plan"
media.tenor.com
a cartoon of homer simpson holding a card
ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson holding a card
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
Asking hard questions and pushing the boundaries of medical science to develop new cures is hard. I worry that Friday night's new NIH rules will only further disincentivize universities to support medical research.
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
“I think the American people need to understand how devastating it would be if this goes through,” Dr. Lefkowitz said. “A lot of research would just have to stop; I can’t imagine that the shortfall could be met from other sources.”
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Cuts Put Medical Progress at Risk, Researchers Say
Grants from the National Institutes of Health come with additional money for overhead. A planned $4 billion cut would leave colleges with large budget gaps.
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 08/02/2025
1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%. I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov
NOT-OD-25-068: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates NOT-OD-25-068. OD
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Exciting to have more treatments for rare disease patients!
nejm.org
Identifying and Targeting TNF Signaling in Idiopathic Multicentric Castleman’s Disease | NEJM
A patient with longstanding multicentric Castleman’s disease that had progressed after multiple therapies was entering hospice care. Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor will have led to remission f...
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Congratulations Joe! #UpliftingAthletes #Raredisease #CureCastleman
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Congratulations to all!!!
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Daniel Stover, MD, FASCO @stoverlab.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
Kim Rathmell to step down as NCI Director January 20. Hope that we can benefit from her leadership at the NCI again in the future.
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Science Magazine @science.org · 14/01/2025
Large-scale changes in the genome inherited from parents are significant risk factors for pediatric solid tumors, a new Science study finds. The results provide new insights into the genetic underpinnings of pediatric cancers.
scim.ag
Rare germline structural variants increase risk for pediatric solid tumors
Pediatric solid tumors are a leading cause of childhood disease mortality. In this work, we examined germline structural variants (SVs) as risk factors for pediatric extracranial solid tumors using germline genome sequencing of 1765 affected children, ...
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Jeff Mold @jeffmold.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
I thought Type 2 immunity was tolerogenic? Or wait, what year is it? Ah, I thought it was 1988...
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Joshua Brandstadter MD PhD @jbrandmdphd.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
Ccl19-Cre+ fibroblasts use Dll1 Notch ligands to control MZBs!! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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