Lehigh Valley Health Network dedicated a new cancer research center following a $12 million donation from Peter and Odete Kelly during a Sept. 30 ceremony at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township.
The Peter and Odete Kelly Center for Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy will focus on developing treatments that teach the immune system to fight cancer cells by targeting specific genetic mutations. The center plans to conduct translational research, develop therapeutic cancer vaccines, and expand access to clinical trials through an interdisciplinary team of experts.
Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute currently operates the region’s only clinical trial for an immunotherapeutic pancreatic cancer vaccine, which was announced in August 2024. The precision therapy targets genetic mutations that cause cancer cells to grow while minimizing damage to healthy tissue and reducing side effects compared to traditional treatments…