El-Deiry's opening testimony at US Senate Hearing: COVID vaccines, cancer & Attacks on Pubs 6-3-2026

Added: 2026-06-04

[00:00:00]Yeah, Gleason, you stayed right on time.

[00:00:01]Appreciate that. Uh next witness is Dr. Wafik El-Deiry.

[00:00:05]Dr. El-Deiry is a practicing physician scientist, American Cancer Society Professor, founding director of the Cancer Center at Brown University, and chair of the Worldwide Innovative Network Consortium in Precision Oncology. He discovered a tumor suppressing gene he named WAF1, and a first-of-its-kind drug approved by FDA last year for the treatment of an aggressive brain cancer. Dr. El-Deiry.

[00:00:29]>> Um Thank you, Senator Johnson and Senator Blumenthal, and distinguished committee members for the oppor- Um Thank you, Senator Johnson, Senator Blumenthal, and distinguished committee members for the opportunity to speak at this important hearing. Um I am a physician scientist and cancer researcher with more than 30 years of experience studying um how our body normally fights cancer through a major tumor suppressor called P53, uh and finding new ways of treating it.

[00:01:13]I've also advocated on Capitol Hill since 2005 for support of research funding, which is really vital. Uh my work has has focused on how cancers develop within when these uh normal tumor suppressor mechanisms fail, uh including discoveries involving uh how tumor suppressors uh work, and this has become foundational in cancer biology and oncology research. I've also studied how viruses and other biological processes can disrupt our defenses against cancer. So, when the COVID pandemic uh began, I wanted to help by applying our expertise in cancer biology, immunology, and approved treatments to better understand and treat COVID. Uh it's been long understood that certain viruses contribute to cancer development by disrupting tumor suppressor pathways, including P53, one of the body's most important cancer protective mechanisms.

[00:02:17]Early in the pandemic, I became concerned that the COVID virus might similarly interfere with these defense mechanisms, making this an important area for scientific investigation.

[00:02:30]Early in the pandemic, I also expressed uncertainty on social media about the natural origin of the COVID virus, and this is when I first started to experience repercussions of speaking out against the mainstream narrative. What I didn't expect were the attacks on science itself. By July 2020, my laboratory published findings showing that a class of cancer drugs known as MEK inhibitors suppressed ACE2, the cell surface receptor the COVID virus uses to infect human cells. By April of 24, we reported findings suggesting that the spike protein associated with uh COVID infection or COVID vaccination could reduce the ability of P53 to activate genes involved in suppressing cancer. Based on these findings, we emphasized that effective vaccines against viruses such as COVID should strengthen immunity against infection without interfering with the body's natural defenses against cancer. These concerns were raised through normal scientific channels, yet the response was not open scientific engagement, but escalating attacks. Instead of contributing to scientific dialogue, the findings triggered attacks on on the research and the researchers involved.

[00:03:54]Much of this occurred through an online platform known as PubPeer, originally created about a decade ago to identify fraud and scientific misconduct.

[00:04:05]Unfortunately, the platform increasingly became weaponized against researchers whose findings challenged prevailing narratives.

[00:04:15]The platform permits anonymous accusations without meaningful accountability. There's no disclosure of conflicts of interest, no statute of limitations, or citizenship requirements. These attacks are public, amplified through social media, and can continue indefinitely regardless of whether wrongdoing is ever established.

[00:04:35]This is precisely what happened to us, although we corrected minor errors where appropriate and continue to do so, none altered the underlying results or conclusions of our work. Nevertheless, our publications became subject of sustained public attacks that damage reputation and undermined scientific uh credibility.

[00:04:58]Um Despite these ongoing attacks, last summer I agreed to serve on an HHS committee uh on immunization practices working group on COVID immunizations, and as an expert uh I I therefore looked into uh everything we know about cancer and COVID infection and COVID vaccination, and by the fall found uh nearly 70 papers describing more than 300 reported cancer cases from 27 countries following one or more COVID mRNA vaccine injections.

[00:05:38]Um the reported in cancers occurred near injection sites, like sarcomas or lymphomas, right at the injection site, uh within the head and neck region within and elsewhere including as Dr. Dalgliesh mentioned, uh brain tumors and and other tumors.

[00:05:57]Um in some reported cases, spike protein was identified within tumor tissue. Our findings were published in January of this year and shortly afterwards, I was contacted directly by former Japanese Minister Kazuhiro Haraguchi who reported developing a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that later metastasized to his tonsil and biopsy then they found spike protein. There should be no spike in tumors.

[00:06:28]Uh these observations warrant serious scientific investigation uh and as such, a number of unexpected uh observations has been have been made with the COVID mRNA vaccines that uh suggest potentially plausible mechanisms and connections to cancer.

[00:06:49]The attacks on my publications intensified and continued to the present day despite no findings of fraud, misconduct, or wrongdoing after years of investigation. I am for vaccines that are safe and effective. Both our paper and the journal itself became targets of attacks through PubPeer and related online campaigns. I remain in effect guilty until proven innocent. Patients deserve informed consent. Scientists deserve the freedom to investigate legitimate scientific concerns. There are many open questions including who is at greatest risk from these vaccines and there shouldn't be fear of reputational destruction, institutional retaliation, or professional ruin. PubPeer needs to be held accountable for making false accusations against physicians and scientists that destroy reputations and careers. Thank you.

[00:07:47]>> Thank you, Dr.