Yan Leyfman, MD

AI-Driven Oncology | Cell Therapy | Translational Science |
Dir @MedNewsWeek | @OncLive Correspondent |
Host, Translational Edge | COI:

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

Honored and grateful to be invited to speak at this outstanding forum hosted by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 🌍✨

I’m excited to share two oral presentations exploring how global oncology, AI, and evidence-based innovation can be translated into real-world action to reduce inequities in cancer care worldwide 📊🧬🤝

Immense gratitude to my mentors, Dr. Bonilla & Dr. Park, and collaborators whose guidance, support, and trust continue to shape this work — none of this is possible without you 🙏💙

Looking forward to engaging conversations, learning alongside leaders across disciplines, and advancing our shared mission to improve cancer care for patients everywhere 🌎🔬
@DrArturoAI
@CParkMD

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

What if some CAR T cells don’t fail because they are “exhausted”…
…but because they are simply too old to keep fighting?

That may be one of the important lessons from new work in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

CAR T-cell therapy can produce remarkable, durable remissions in CLL—but not every patient’s T cells have the capacity to expand, persist, and maintain cytotoxic function after infusion.

We often describe dysfunctional T cells through the lens of exhaustion.

This study suggests we may be missing another piece of the puzzle: T-cell senescence.

Investigators found that patients whose CAR T-cell products had poor expansion and inferior outcomes showed stronger senescence and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) programs before infusion.

These cells displayed features of biological aging:

→ Loss of CD27/CD28
→ Increased KLRG1 expression
→ DNA damage and p16/p53 activation
→ Restricted T-cell receptor diversity
→ Reduced proliferative capacity
→ A diminished cytotoxic “reserve”

In other words, the problem may begin before the CAR is even infused.

The manufacturing process could further amplify a pre-existing dysfunctional state, leaving CAR T cells with limited capacity to respond when repeatedly challenged by tumor antigen.

But perhaps the most intriguing finding is that this state may be modifiable.

Ibrutinib attenuated senescence-associated features and inflammatory SASP programs and improved CAR T-cell proliferative fitness and expansion in experimental models.

This raises an important question for the field:

Should we be evaluating the biological age and functional reserve of a patient’s T cells before manufacturing CAR T therapy?

The next generation of CAR T research may therefore need to look beyond exhaustion.

Because sometimes, the problem isn't that the T cell has stopped fighting.

It may be that the T cell has run out of youth.

#CART #CAR #CLL #CellTherapy #Immunotherapy #Hematology #CancerResearch

https://t.co/drGZ0jzo7h

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

Cancer research doesn’t advance through science alone—it advances when communities choose to believe in innovation and give promising ideas a chance to reach patients.

I’m honored to support Music Beats Cancer and Thumbs Up for a Cure, taking place September 5 at LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton.

What Mona Jhaveri and the Music Beats Cancer team have built speaks to one of the most difficult realities in cancer research: great science still needs resources, visibility, and people willing to invest in its future.

Their mission is particularly meaningful because it helps mobilize awareness and financial support for emerging biotech innovators developing novel cancer therapeutics—including innovations in rare and underserved cancers, where promising ideas can struggle to attract the capital needed to move forward.

Every breakthrough begins with an idea. Every idea deserves a chance.

Thumbs Up for a Cure brings an entire community around that idea—families impacted by cancer, biotech founders, physicians and scientists, investors, philanthropists, artists, and advocates.

And perhaps most importantly, kids get a seat at the table. They’ll have the opportunity to ask biotech innovators the bold and honest questions themselves—and ultimately give the innovations they hear about a 👍 thumbs up or 👎 thumbs down.

I’m also incredibly grateful to be invited on behalf of MedNews Week to help amplify these stories. We’ll be there providing exclusive event coverage, behind-the-scenes access, and interviews with the innovators and leaders working to change the future of cancer care.

🎗️ Thumbs Up for a Cure
📅 September 5 | 4:00–6:30 PM
📍 LongHouse Reserve | East Hampton, NY
🎷 Kids Q&A • Live Jazz • Live Auction • Cancer Innovation

If you believe that potentially lifesaving cancer innovations shouldn’t disappear simply because they couldn’t find funding, I encourage you to learn more, attend, or support the mission.

Looking forward to celebrating Mona’s vision, the Music Beats Cancer community, and the scientists and entrepreneurs willing to take on some of the hardest problems in cancer.

Together, we can help turn scientific promise into lifesaving reality.
#MusicBeatsCancer #ThumbsUpForACure #CancerInnovation #PediatricOncology #ChildhoodCancer #Biotech #CancerResearch #RareCancers #MedNewsWeek

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

@pashtoonkasi @CCR_AACR @AACR Congratulations!

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

@sankalparoraMD @Daver_Leukemia @Haematologica @UTMDAnderson @MDmasarova Congratulations

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

🔥 MEDNEWS WEEK MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT with Dr. Karin Tawagi

The treatment landscape for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is rapidly evolving—and we’re excited to welcome Dr. Karin Tawagi to MedNews Week for a timely discussion on what these advances mean for clinical practice.

Dr. Tawagi is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and Fellowship Program Director at the University of Illinois Chicago, combining expertise in genitourinary oncology with a deep commitment to educating the next generation of oncologists.

🎙️ Evolving Treatment Paradigms in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

We’ll explore the changing therapeutic landscape, emerging treatment strategies, and how new evidence is reshaping the way we approach patients with MIBC.

Join us for another MedNews Week Medical Spotlight featuring the experts helping move oncology forward.

📅 August 26, 2026
⏰ 12:00 PM ET

Don’t miss this exciting episode: https://t.co/dHAMTJm78Q

#MedNewsWeek #BladderCancer #MIBC #GUOncology #Oncology #CancerResearch #MedicalEducation

Don’t miss this exciting episode: https://t.co/dHAMTJm78Q

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

Don’t miss this exciting episode: https://t.co/hjv44q3lYm

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

🔥 MEDNEWS WEEK MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT with Dr. Karin Tawagi

The treatment landscape for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is rapidly evolving—and we’re excited to welcome Dr. Karin Tawagi to MedNews Week for a timely discussion on what these advances mean for clinical practice.

Dr. Tawagi is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and Fellowship Program Director at the University of Illinois Chicago, combining expertise in genitourinary oncology with a deep commitment to educating the next generation of oncologists.

🎙️ Evolving Treatment Paradigms in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

We’ll explore the changing therapeutic landscape, emerging treatment strategies, and how new evidence is reshaping the way we approach patients with MIBC.

Join us for another MedNews Week Medical Spotlight featuring the experts helping move oncology forward.

📅 August 26, 2026
⏰ 12:00 PM ET

Don’t miss this exciting episode: https://t.co/dHAMTJm78Q

#MedNewsWeek #BladderCancer #MIBC #GUOncology #Oncology #CancerResearch #MedicalEducation

Don’t miss this exciting episode: https://t.co/dHAMTJm78Q

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

@MAvilaMD @MedNewsWeek @oncodaily @MoffittNews @MoffittGYNONC @RMWenham Excited the premiere. Hope we can remain in touch.

[Dr.Monica Avila @MAvilaMD]

Thank you so much for hosting me at @MedNewsWeek! Great to share predictions for therapeutic directions of #GYN malignancies! From logic-gated CARTs to inducible genomic alterations and microtumor avatars, future looks ☀️😎☀️!
@oncodaily
@MoffittNews
@MoffittGYNONC @RMWenham

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

@MAvilaMD @MedNewsWeek @oncodaily @MoffittNews @MoffittGYNONC @RMWenham It was a pleasure to learn from you.

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

@MusheerAdeena @MedNewsWeek @MAvilaMD Thank you for your time and insights Dr Avila. It was our pleasure to learn from you.

[Adeena Musheer, MBBS @MusheerAdeena]

#GynecologicOncology #CancerResearch #Oncology #MedNewsWeek #MedicalEducation
@oncodaily @MoffittNews @YLeyfman @CParkMD

[Pashtoon Kasi MD, MS @pashtoonkasi]

🆕👇🏽Unveiling FULL results of our #NEST🪺 Trial in MSS “cold”🧊colorectal cancer

💡Immunotherapy (BOT🤖/BAL) BEFORE surgery
💯% disease-free to date✅
NEST1:~32 months
NEST2:~24 months

5 years of work—now in @CCR_AACR🙌🏽

🚀#NEST3 NOW OPEN!

@OncoAlert
🔗 https://t.co/jeRklgce1c

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

@emilyliangmd @StanfordBMT_CT @LoriMuffly @SurbhiSidanaMD @LMikkMD Congratulations!

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

@WCMEnglanderIPM @landau_lab @WeillCornell Congratulations. No better leader.

[Taha Kassim Dohadwala @Tahu_09]

CAR-T can deliver remarkable responses - but why do some patients relapse?

From earlier use to smarter designs and overcoming resistance, what’s next for aggressive B-cell lymphoma?

Dr. Abid explores it in @MedNewsWeek Medical Spotlight. 🧬

Watch: https://t.co/GwbCQlHN54

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

@MarioNawfal Concern is of course privacy. How is privacy of content ensured especially sensitive info associated with financial matters? What is Grok doing differently in this domain than say chatgpt or Claude?

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

@MAvilaMD @MoffittNews @MoffittGYNONC @julia_andresen @MadisonSkipp19 @RMWenham Congratulations!

[Wafik S. El-Deiry, MD, PhD, FACP @weldeiry]

Please encourage students around New England to submit abstracts. We extended the abstract deadline, plan to reduce registration for students to minimally cover meals for the 2-day meeting ($50) and will reduce even more if they submit acceptable abstracts by early September ($30). The meeting is a great opportunity to interact with the world’s leading faculty in precision oncology, regulatory science, AI, industry and professional societies. @WIN_Consortium @Dr_R_Kurzrock @oncodaily @SewantiLimaye @LiaTsimberidou @DrRoyHerbst @jrgralow @billdahutmd @DawsonStemCell @SeanLawler20 @SenduraiMani @bcarneiro7 @rwsobol @ianywonglab @LiangChengMD @charlesbalchmd @djmcconkey @DrChoueiri @DrSGraff @Aiims1742 @NCIDirector

https://t.co/7wMYmTWmyb

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

@dondavisphdmba Great to see you as well. We should catch up.