This September—National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month—we’re reminded that while progress has been made, the fight is far from over. According to leading organizations, pediatric cancers remain the leading cause of disease-related death among children in the U.S.
That’s why this story is so compelling and so deeply hopeful. In Erie, First Ascent Biomedical and Gannon University are launching a state-of-the-art laboratory within Gannon’s I‑HACK building to revolutionize how cancer is treated. The 3,000‑square‑foot facility is designed to serve up to 20,000 patients annually using AI-driven personalized medicine. By analyzing patient-derived cancer cells against 100s of FDA-approved drugs, analyzing DNA and RNA sequencing, mutation profiles, and drug responsiveness, each cancer patient can receive a treatment plan tailored to their tumor’s unique biology