More than 300 patients, caregivers, health care professionals, researchers, donors and supporters gathered Aug. 7, at The Barn at Ackerhurst Dairy Farm in Bennington, Nebraska, to celebrate “Trailblazing a Decade of CAR T-cell Therapy: 10 Years of Innovation at Nebraska Medicine and UNMC.”
Hosted by Nebraska Medicine, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the National Cancer Institute-designated Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, the event marked 10 years of innovation and patient impact through CAR T-cell therapy, a treatment that has transformed care for many patients.
Guests enjoyed dinner, networking, and a program highlighting the evolution of CAR T-cell therapy and its impact on patients and families. Featured speakers included Matt Lunning, DO, the James O. Armitage, MD, chair in Hematological Malignancies; Kim Schmit-Pokorny, director, Blood and Marrow Transplant and CAR T Gene and Cellular Therapy programs; Susan Blumel, manager, Clinical Trials office at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, and a few patients who shared their impactful stories about their CAR T-cell treatment.
“The event was about recognizing the people who built this program, celebrating the patients who entrusted us with their care, thanking the partners who believed in our vision, and inspiring the next generation who will take gene and cellular therapy further than any of us can imagine,” Dr. Lunning said.
One of the evening’s patient speakers, Jan Janisch-Hanzlik, shared her perspective on the impact of treatment and the care she received for multiple sclerosis.
“This treatment happened right here in Nebraska, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine, and I’m so proud to say it’s happening here, and I can’t thank everyone enough,” she said. “The evening honored the many people who have contributed to the success of the CAR T-cell program while looking ahead to the next generation of cellular therapy breakthroughs.”
The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center is a partnership between Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center that brings together patient care, research, and education, and is Nebraska’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, a distinction held by a select group of cancer centers nationwide. The designation recognizes excellence in cancer research, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, helping ensure patients have access to the latest scientific discoveries and emerging therapies.