The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT

an accordion of endothelial cells stained in pink and green

Using MIT ingenuity to create knowledge, tools, and treatments to fight cancer

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Our Research Areas

From fundamental discoveries to engineering advances, we strategically pursue five areas of research that, across tumor types, are critical for rapid progress toward defeating cancer.

As a National Cancer Institute-designated basic cancer research center, we produce knowledge and tools to fight one of humanity's most persistent challenges.

NCI Cancer Center: A Cancer Center Designated by the National Cancer Institute
Detection & monitoring  
Metastasis  
Immunology & immunotherapy  
Nano-based drugs  
Precision medicine  

News

Remembering David Baltimore

MIT Koch Institute

September 8, 2025

With sadness, the Koch Institute marks the passing of Professor David Baltimore. A founding faculty member and formative influence behind the MIT Center for Cancer Research, he was not only a ground-breaking researcher but also a compelling and thoughtful voice for science. 

His discovery of reverse transcriptase changed the prevailing scientific dogma, earned him a 1975 Nobel Prize, and directly enables work in life sciences and biomedical laboratories everywhere. His decades-long advocacy work impacted national policy debates on topics such as recombinant DNA research, the AIDS epidemic, and genome editing.

Get a grip

MIT News

Drawing KI Image Awards-winning inspiration from fishes including remora and gourami, Traverso lab members Troy Ziliang Kang, Ben Muller, and colleagues have developed a mechanical adhesive system that could be used for delivering medicines in the gastrointestinal tract or aquatic monitoring.

Therapeutic vaccine elicits strong response

NBC Nightly News

NBC Nightly News covers robust early results from Elicio's clinical trials of its vaccine for treating pancreatic and colorectal cancer.

More News 

At the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, scientists and engineers work together to solve some of the most difficult problems in cancer. We ask big questions in strategic areas, where the answers have big impacts on how we understand and treat cancer.