“NIH scientists have a cancer breakthrough. Layoffs are delaying it.”
The Washington Post
In this timely and important article, Carolyn Johnson skillfully merges two intersecting narratives: a look into promising new research in using tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy on solid tumors and the real-world impact of the reduction-in-force announcements for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Johnson explores the history of cell-based immunotherapy and the elusiveness of its efficacy in solid tumors, underscoring why progress in this field, and particularly in TIL therapy, is critically important. Johnson also tells the story of a patient who turned to the NIH after years of treatment, where the promise of a clinical trial testing TIL therapy offered renewed hope, followed by uncertainty when important members of the trial team were laid off. Johnson’s work highlights how politics can impede scientific progress and the many individuals who are directly affected by these types of decisions.
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