Researchers find common immune system mechanism between pregnancy, cancer

To understand why some cancers successfully circumvent the immune system to grow unchecked, researchers turned to pregnancy. “In pregnancy, the immune system does not reject the growing fetus, so we know there must be mechanisms active in the placenta. In cancer, it’s the same thing: the growing tumor is not rejected by the immune system. It means the cancer cells have developed strategies to suppress immune rejection, same as in pregnancy,” said Weiping Zou, M.D., Ph.D., professor of experimental pathology.

Pathology Informatics Summit

The University of Michigan Department of Pathology was honored to serve as co-host of this year’s Association of Pathology Informatics Summit, held at Eagle Crest Resort in Ypsilanti, Michigan, May 20-23, 2024. Director of Pathology Informatics Dr. Ulysses Balis served as this year’s conference director, along with Henry Ford Health System’s Dr. Mark Tuthill, who served as co-chair, with incredible support provided by U-M's Beth Gibson, conference manager and CME coordinator, and the U-M Pathology Informatics team who dedicated hundreds of hours toward the planning of this meeting. This year’s Summit enjoyed an exuberant turnout, with nearly 400 in attendance.

Engineering Hope

There are times in many people’s lives that can be called defining moments. Moments when their lives suddenly take a turn, and the entire trajectory of their lives change. This was true for Matthew Iyer, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Pathology.