Catherine Phelps

Exercising through cancer: Physical activity as medicine for cancer care Exercise holds significant potential as an adjunct therapy in cancer, extending beyond quality-of-life improvements to influencing tumor progression, treatment response, and survival. Its clinical integration remains limited by variability in models, heterogenous interventions, and the absence of predictive biomarkers. As the field progresses, identifying molecular effectors of exercise, in addition to emphasizing practical clinical translation, is essential. This commentary highlights the anti-tumor effects of exercise and evaluates how exercise can advance from supportive care to a targeted, evidence-based component of cancer treatment.

Exercising through cancer: Physical activity as medicine for cancer care

Catherine Phelps from @upmc.com representing #SITC Talks on how #exercise can improve outcome - role for #microbial #metabolite #formate on mediating #anticancer #immunity / #WIC2025 #SITC2025

What a fantastic opportunity to share our work! Thank you organizers for a great pre-conference event at #SITC25
Looking forward to even more awesome science in the days to come!

What a great opportunity to share our story! Thank you to all the organizers for putting this event together!

Check out PMI talks tomorrow at the SOM Grad Student Symposium:
@catmphelps.bsky.social (in @meisellab.bsky.social ), Daria Jelic (Doug Reed lab), Kelsey Ertwine (Abby Overacre lab), @febrigunawan48.bsky.social (in Renfeng Li lab), and @dariavantyne.bsky.social !

Catherine Phelps!

Congratulations to PMI student @catmphelps.bsky.social who is the recipient of the 23rd Stephen L. Phillips Scientific Achievement award for a Pitt School of Medicine graduate student who authored the best peer-review scientific journal author this year!

Congrats, @catmphelps.bsky.social !

Awesome write-up! 🦠 🏃‍♀️ 💨

Congrats! So excited to see this story in press !

Gasdermin C cleavage by Cathepsin S modulates Rab7 vesicles in intestinal epithelial cells to amplify anti-helminth immunity Pandey et al. identify Cathepsin S (CTSS) as the direct protease that cleaves Gasdermin C (GsdmC) in the intestine. Type 2 immune-promoting microbes trigger CTSS-dependent GsdmC activation in intestin...

Excited to share our new publication in collaboration with Yi-Nan Gong: Gasdermin C cleavage by Cathepsin S modulates Rab7 vesicles in intestinal epithelial cells to amplify anti-helminth immunity: Immunity www.cell.com/immunity/ful...

Gasdermin C cleavage by Cathepsin S modulates Rab7 vesicles in intestinal epithelial cells to amplify anti-helminth immunity Pandey et al. identify Cathepsin S (CTSS) as the direct protease that cleaves Gasdermin C (GsdmC) in the intestine. Type 2 immune-promoting microbes trigger CTSS-dependent GsdmC activation in intestinal epithelial cells, targeting Rab7+ vesicles, altering lipid metabolism, and modulating anti-helminth immunity, revealing a non-pyroptotic function of GsdmC in mucosal immune regulation.

Online now: Gasdermin C cleavage by Cathepsin S modulates Rab7 vesicles in intestinal epithelial cells to amplify anti-helminth immunity

I am BEYOND excited to share that my PhD thesis research is officially published in Cell @cellcellpress.bsky.social.

Read on for an exciting story about how #exercise promotes antitumor #immunity by modulating behavior of the #microbiome to help fight #cancer 🏃‍♀️🦠

Omg! Congratulations!!! 🎉🥳 🍾

Exercise enhances antitumor immunity and immunotherapy effectiveness by increasing microbiota-derived formate, which boosts CD8 T cell function and may serve as a biomarker of melanoma suppression @cellcellpress.bsky.social @catmphelps.bsky.social @meisellab.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Thanks @nature.com for highlighting our recent study #exercise #microbiota #cancer

📄🧫🔬🐭What are you reading this weekend? Check out @catmphelps.bsky.social, @meisellab.bsky.social, et al’s brand new work! #H2P

Exercise-induced microbiota metabolite enhances CD8 T cell antitumor immunity promoting immunotherapy efficacy Exercise enhances antitumor immunity and immunotherapy effectiveness by increasing microbiota-derived formate, which boosts CD8 T cell function and may serve as a biomarker of melanoma suppression.

Now online! Exercise-induced microbiota metabolite enhances CD8 T cell antitumor immunity promoting immunotherapy efficacy

Exercise-induced microbiota metabolite enhances CD8 T cell antitumor immunity promoting immunotherapy efficacy Exercise enhances antitumor immunity and immunotherapy effectiveness by increasing microbiota-derived formate, which boosts CD8 T cell function and may serve as a biomarker of melanoma suppression.

Our lab just completed a +6 year #marathon, describing for the first time that the #microbiome is critical for #exercise - induced increases in antitumor CD8 T cell immunity and improved of #cancer #immunotherapy.
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

I am BEYOND excited to share that my PhD thesis research is officially published in @cellpress.bsky.social today.

Read on for an exciting story about how #exercise promotes antitumor #immunity by modulating behavior of the #microbiome 🏃‍♀️🦠

authors.elsevier.com/c/1lPCrL7PXu...

The remarkable benefit of exercise was just extended to improved survival after cancer in a randomized trial
@nejm.org
nejm.org/doi/full/10....

Exercise Extends Life for People With Cancer, Study Shows The trial, in people treated for colon cancer, showed clear evidence that an exercise program lowered the risk of disease recurrence and death.

A first-of-its kind study adds powerful new evidence to research showing that exercise improves cancer survival. Here's what the trial, in people treated for colon cancer, showed.

not posting much these days…but this is just too positive not to share- 2 of my trainees (current) Catherine (@Catmphelps.bsky.social) and (former) Mackenzie received the AAI Trainee Achievement Award! Could not be prouder…#WomeninSTEM

Having a great time at #AACR25 in Chicago! Join me Sunday afternoon at the Overcoming Tumor Immune Suppression Minisymposium where I'll be discussing new @meisellab.bsky.social research on #exercise, #microbiome, and cancer immunity🏃 #WICR #WomenInSTEM

So excited to be in Banff for the @keystonesymposia.bsky.social with a focus on #microbiome! Loving the views on a beautiful trail #run today... RIP to my old cramp-ons though 😆