Michael P. Cancro, Ph.D., DFAAI, passed away on February 7, 2025. He was a devoted educator and an expert in B cell biology who made several groundbreaking discoveries in the field.
Dr. Cancro completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Maryland and joined the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1976 as a postdoctoral fellow in Norman Klinman’s lab. There, he contributed to the development of the influenza hemagglutinin model antigen system. He was soon recruited by the university of Pennsylvania, where he remained for the rest of his career.
Over his 49 years at Penn, Dr. Cancro made an indelible impact. His lab defined the transitional B cell subset, a developmental stage between immature B cell formation in the bone marrow and final maturation in the periphery. He elucidated the role of the cytokine BLyS (also known as BAFF) and its receptors in controlling peripheral B cell selection and numbers. Cancro’s lab discovered and characterized Age-Associated B Cells (ABCs), a novel B cell subset that increases with age.
Mentorship and teaching were equally important to Dr. Cancro. Many of his trainees have gone on to become leaders in the B cell field, including Mark Shlomchik, M.D., Ph.D., DFAAI, who fondly recalled Cancro’s comment on his Med School Immunology exam: ‘Great exam. Contact me if you ever want to go into the lab.’ This simple note inspired Mark to pursue a PhD in Immunology, which has since shaped his successful career.
Dr. Cancro joined AAI in 1979, and remained a member for the rest of his life. He was a fixture at the annual meeting, and was named a Distinguished Fellow of AAI in 2020.
This obituary was adapted from text provided by Dr. Cancro’s colleagues, including Drs. Taku Kambayashi, David Allman, and Warren Pear. There is also an online memorial for Dr. Cancro.
