Bruce L. Levine, PhD
Barbara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Founding Director, Clinical Cell and Vaccine Production Facility (CVPF)
Contact InformationCenter for Cellular Immunotherapies
Smilow Center for Translational Research, Rm. 8-114
3400 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Tel: 215-898-9120
Email: levinebl@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Specialty Division
Transfusion Medicine & Therapeutic Pathology, Cancer and Immunobiology, Diagnostic Innovation
Research Expertise
Immunology, Cell and Gene Therapy
Other Expertise
Good Manufacturing Practices
Itmat Expertise
Dr. Levine's interests include cell, gene, and biologic therapy clinical trial development, manufacturing, and testing and lymphocyte growth, activation and senescence.
Education
BA (Biology), University of Pennsylvania, 1984
PhD (Immunology and Infectious Diseases), Johns Hopkins University, 1992
Graduate Groups
Cell and Molecular Biology
Specialty Certification
Postgraduate Training
Postdoctoral Fellow, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Naval Medical Research Institute, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, 1992-96
Awards and Honors
Honorable Mention, The Frederik Bang Award for Student Research, 1991
Sustained Superior Performance Award, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, 1995
New Investigator Award, Clinical Immunology Society, 1997
Dynal Literature Award for 1996, 1997
Best Abstract Award, International Society for Cellular Therapy Annual Meeting, 2004
Best Abstract Award, International Society for Cellular Therapy Annual Meeting, 2007
Discover Magazine Top 100 Stories of 2011: #2 Designer Cells Block HIV, #10 Leukemia Cure, 2011
Highest Rated Scientific Abstract (blinded review), International Society for Cellular Therapy 17th Annual Meeting, 2011
Science Translational Medicine Top Downloaded Paper for 2011, "T cells with chimerical antigen receptors have potent antitumor effects and can establish memory in patients with advanced leukemia," 2012
Dr. Audrey E. Evans Award of Excellence, Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House, 2014
Best Oral Abstract Award, International Society for Cellular Therapy Annual Meeting, 2015
Clinical Research Achievement Award, Clinical Research Forum, 2015
Best Oral Abstract Award, International Society for Cellular Therapy Annual Meeting, 2016
William Osler Patient Oriented Research Award, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 2018
Wallace H. Coulter Award for Healthcare Innovation, Biomedical Engineering Society, 2019
Clinical Research Achievement Award, Clinical Research Forum, 2019
"The Medicine Maker" Power List, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Service Excellence Award, Healthnetwork Foundation, 2019
Team Science Award, Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer, 2020
Dennis Confer Innovate Award, National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match ONE Forum, 2020
PMWC 2023 Luminary Award for Gene-Modified Cell Therapies, Precision Medicine World Conference, 2023
Distinguished Achievement Award, Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professionals Association, 2023
Bob Van Dang Penn Leader Award, Breakthrough Bike Challenge, 2023
Jerry Mendell Award for Translational Science, American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, 2023
Memberships and Professional Organizations
International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT, fka International Society for Cellular Therapy), 1999-present
--- Ex Vivo Expansion Committee, 2001-03
--- Telegraft (ISCT newsletter)
---------- Editorial Board, 2002-12
---------- Editor, 2005-08
--- Annual Meeting Planning, Abstract Reviewer, Gene Therapy, 2003-08
--- Immuno & Gene Therapy Committee (fka Immunotherapy/Gene Therapy Committee), 2004-present
---------- Chair, Immunotherapy Committee, 2013-16
--- Executive Committee, 2005-08
--- Cytotherapy (Official journal of ISCT), Editorial Board, 2006
--- Annual Meeting Chair, 2009-10
--- Vice President, North America, 2010-12
--- Commercialization Committee, 2011-present
--- Committee on the Ethics of Cell and Gene Therapy (ECGT) 2013-present
--- Global Industry Committee
--- Early Stage Professionals Group, Mentor, 2017-present
--- Strategic Advisory Council, 2018-present
---------- Chair, 2022-24
--- Global Government and Public Relations Committee, Co-Chair, 2018-20
--- President-Elect, 2018-20
--- President, 2020-22
--- Immediate Past President, 2022-24
--- Publications Committee, Chair, 2022-24
American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (fka American Society for Gene Therapy), 1999-present
--- Infectious Disease Committee
--- Tissue Engineering Committee
--- Annual Meeting
---------- Abstract Reviewer, 2004
---------- Cell Processing & Vector Production, Abstract Reviewer, 2007, 2008, 2010
---------- Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Coordinating Abstract Reviewer, 2011
American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2002-present
NIH/NIAID Study Sections
--- Immunology Integrated Review Group SSS-4 SBIR/STTR, 2004
--- Center for AIDS Research: D-CFAR, CFAR, 2005, 2009
--- Clinical Trial Planning (R34) Grants Study Section, 2006
Cambridge Healthtech Institute, Scientific Advisor, "CHI Immunotherapeutics & Vaccine Summit: Challenges in Pre-Clinical & Clinical Development," Cambridge, MA, 2010
NIH/NHLBI Program: Production Assistance for Cellular Therapies, Peer Review Panel Member, 2010
European Commission review panel for FP7 Cooperation Work Programme "HEALTH.2010.1.4-1: Translational research on cell-based immunotherapy" Brussels, Belgium, 2010-11
European Commission review panel for FP7 Cooperation Work Programme "HEALTH.2012.1.4-4: "Targeted nucleic acid delivery as an innovative therapeutic or prophylactic approach" Brussels, Belgium, 2011-12
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas: Texas Access to Cancer Cell Therapies (TACCT), Peer Review Panel Member, 2014
Israel Science Foundation, Proposal Reviewer, 2018-present
Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, Board of Directors, 2018-present
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Cure Sickle Cell Initiative, Scientific Review Committee, 2019-20
Web Links
(twitter) 
Selected Publications
A phase 1 trial of adoptive transfer of vaccine-primed autologous circulating T cells in ovarian cancer
Bobisse S, Bianchi V, Tanyi JL, Sarivalasis A, Missiaglia E, Pétremand R, Benedetti F, Torigian DA, Genolet R, Barras D, Michel A, Mastroyannis SA, Zsiros E, Dangaj Laniti D, Tsourti Z, Stevenson BJ, Iseli C, Levine BL, Speiser DE, Gfeller D, Bassani-Sternberg M, Powell DJ Jr, June CH, Dafni U, Kandalaft LE, Harari A, Coukos G. Nat Cancer 4(10):1410-1417, Oct 2023. doi: 10.1038/s43018-023-00623-x. Epub 2023 Sep 21. PMID: 37735588.
A simulation-based comparison of centralized and point-of-care supply chain strategies for autologous cell therapy
Wang K, Tseng CY, Li Z, White C, Wang B, Levine BL, Fesnak AD. Cytotherapy S1465-3249(23)01038-1, Sep 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2023.08.007. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37747394.
Tissue-resident memory CAR T cells with stem-like characteristics display enhanced efficacy against solid and liquid tumors
Jung IY, Noguera-Ortega E, Bartoszek R, Collins SM, Williams E, Davis M, Jadlowsky JK, Plesa G, Siegel DL, Chew A, Levine BL, Berger SL, Moon EK, Albelda SM, Fraietta JA. Cell Rep Med 4(6):101053, Jun 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101053. Epub 2023 May 23. PMID: 37224816; PMCID: PMC10313923.
Anti-CD19 CAR T Cells in Combination with Ibrutinib for the Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Gill SI, Frey NV, Hexner E, Metzger S, O'Brien M, Hwang WT, Brogdon JL, Davis MM, Fraietta JA, Gaymon A, Gladney WL, Lacey SF, Lamontagne A, Mato AR, Maus MV, Melenhorst JJ, Pequignot E, Ruella M, Shestov MA, Byrd JC, Schuster SJ, Siegel DL, Levine BL, June CH, Porter DL. Blood Adv 6(21):5774-5785, Nov 2022. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022007317. PMID: 35349631; PMCID: PMC9647791.
Comprehensive Serum Proteome Profiling of Cytokine Release Syndrome and Immune Effector Cell Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome in B-Cell ALL Patients Receiving CART19
Diorio C, Shraim R, Myers R, Behrens EM, Canna S, Bassiri H, Aplenc R, Burudpakdee C, Chen F, DiNofia AM, Gill S, Gonzalez V, Lambert MP, Barz Leahy A, Levine BL, Lindell RB, Maude SL, Melenhorst JJ, Newman H, Perazzelli J, Seif AE, Lacey SF, June CH, Barrett DM, Grupp SA, Teachey DT. Clin Cancer Res 28(17):3804-3813, Sep 2022. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-22-0822. PMID: 35705524; PMCID: PMC9444956.
A Randomized Phase II Trial of Idiotype Vaccination and Adoptive Autologous T-Cell Transfer in Multiple Myeloma patients
Qazilbash MH, Saini NY, Soung-Chul C, Wang Z, Stadtmauer E, Baladandayuthapani V, Lin H, Tross B, Honhar M, Rao SS, Kim K, Popescu M, Szymura SJ, Zhang T, Anderson AJ, Bashir Q, Shpall EJ, Orlowski RZ, Levine BL, Kerr N, Garfall A, Cohen AD, Vogl DT, Dengel K, June CH, Champlin RE, Kwak LW. Blood 139(9):1289-1301, Mar 2022. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020008493. PMID: 34521108; PMCID: PMC8900281.
Decade-long leukaemia remissions with persistence of CD4(+) CAR T cells
Melenhorst JJ, Chen GM, Wang M, Porter DL, Chen C, Collins MA, Gao P, Bandyopadhyay S, Sun H, Zhao Z, Lundh S, Pruteanu-Malinici I, Nobles CL, Maji S, Frey NV, Gill SI, Tian L, Kulikovskaya I, Gupta M, Ambrose DE, Davis MM, Fraietta JA, Brogdon JL, Young RM, Chew A, Levine BL, Siegel DL, Alanio C, Wherry EJ, Bushman FD, Lacey SF, Tan K, June CH. Nature 602(7897):503-509, Feb 2022. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04390-6. Epub 2022 Feb 2. Erratum in: Nature. 2022 Dec;612(7941):E22. PMID: 35110735; PMCID: PMC9166916.
Predicting T-cell quality during manufacturing through an artificial intelligence-based integrative multiomics analytical platform
Odeh-Couvertier VY, Dwarshuis NJ, Colonna MB, Levine BL, Edison AS, Kotanchek T, Roy K, Torres-Garcia W. Bioeng Transl Med 7(2):e10282, Jan 2022. doi: 10.1002/btm2.10282. PMID: 35600660; PMCID: PMC9115702.
The Safety of Bridging Radiation with Anti-BCMA CAR T-Cell Therapy for Multiple Myeloma
Manjunath SH, Cohen AD, Lacey SF, Davis MM, Garfall AL, Melenhorst JJ, Maxwell R, Arscott WT, Maity A, Jones JA, Plastaras JP, Stadtmauer EA, Levine BL, June CH, Milone MC, Paydar I. Clin Cancer Res 27(23):6580-6590, Dec 2021. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-0308. Epub 2021 Sep 15. PMID: 34526365; PMCID: PMC8639780.
Humanized CD19-Targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cells in CAR-Naive and CAR-Exposed Children and Young Adults With Relapsed or Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Myers RM, Li Y, Barz Leahy A, Barrett DM, Teachey DT, Callahan C, Fasano CC, Rheingold SR, DiNofia A, Wray L, Aplenc R, Baniewicz D, Liu H, Shaw PA, Pequignot E, Getz KD, Brogdon JL, Fesnak AD, Siegel DL, Davis MM, Bartoszek C, Lacey SF, Hexner EO, Chew A, Wertheim GB, Levine BL, June CH, Grupp SA, Maude SL. J Clin Oncol 39(27):3044-3055, Sep 2021. doi: 10.1200/JCO.20.03458. Epub 2021 Jun 22. PMID: 34156874; PMCID: PMC9851702.
