News

MIT Koch Institute and the Research Institute, National Cancer Center Japan launch strategic collaboration

MIT Koch Institute

June 1, 2026

The MIT Koch Institute and the Research Institute, National Cancer Center Japan, a leading national research institute focused on advancing oncology through basic and translational research, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The collaboration will leverage both parties’ excellence in research to solve the most pressing problems in cancer and shape the future of convergence science in oncology, specifically in the areas of immune-oncology, basic and epidemiologic cancer research, as well as prevention, diagnosis, screening, treatment, cancer control, and survivorship.

Robert Langer Wins 2026 Welch Award in Chemistry

The Welch Foundation

May 19, 2026

Robert Langer has been named the 2026 recipient of the Robert A. Welch Award in Chemistry, established to recognize chemical research that meaningfully benefits humankind and carrying a $500,000 prize. His pioneering work in controlled drug release and tissue engineering has transformed patient care worldwide, generating tens of companies, licensing to over 400 organizations globally, and inspiring hundreds of researchers who now lead their own labs.

MIT welcomes Astellas to the BioConvergence Cancer Alliance 

May 15, 2026

The Koch Institute announced that Astellas Pharma has joined the BioConvergence Cancer Alliance. As a member of the alliance, Astellas will closely engage with a thriving research community at the Koch Institute and flagship initiatives, as well as explore opportunities for formal scientific collaborations with faculty members at the Institute.

Elazer Edelman Receives the 2026-2027 Killian Award

MIT News

May 13, 2026

Elazer Edelman received the James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award, the highest honor awarded to MIT faculty members. Edelman is recognized for pioneering advances in cardiovascular medicine and medical devices, including research adapting drug-coated stents for pancreatic cancer treatment. PanTher Therapeutics, which he co-founded, is testing the stents in clinical trials.

A new shot at boosting T-cell cancer defense

MIT News

May 13, 2026

Researchers from the Anderson and Langer labs have developed a new way to supercharge T-cell response to cancer with an mRNA-based therapeutic vaccine adjuvant. Unlike most immunotherapies, which activate immune cells via external signals, this approach targets the cells’ internal machinery. In a Nature Biotechnology study of mouse models of various cancers, the adjuvant enabled the immune system to completely eradicate most tumors, alone or combined with tumor antigen. It also boosted the T-cell response to influenza and Covid-19 vaccines, suggesting the approach’s utility for viral infections as well. 

This work was supported in part by the Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine

Kumaresh Named 2026 Goldwater Scholar

MIT News

April 23, 2026

Congratulations to Deeksha Kumaresh on being named a 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholar. Currently an undergraduate researcher in Paula Hammond's lab, Deeksha, pictured at far left, is working toward an MD/PhD with the long-term goal of leading a bioengineering lab that uses computational and biological preclinical models to predict the efficacy and side effects of cancer therapies.

Lilly to Acquire Birnbaum Startup 

Wall Street Journal

April 20, 2026

Lilly will acquire Kelonia, a spinout from the laboratory of Michael Birnbaum. Kelonia is developing treatments for a variety of diseases with its in vivo gene editing platform, including a single-infusion CAR-T cancer therapy that showed robust, sustained responses across all patients in early clinical trials.

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A BOOST for Better Livers

April 17, 2026

The Bhatia Lab engineered implantable, growing liver tissue that may one day be used to help patients waiting for transplants. In a study in Science Advances, researchers used their BOOST platform to rewire liver cells with a switch controlling a tissue growth program. Once implanted in mice and turned “on,” the resulting satellite livers were robust and healthy.

Anderson and Langer labs launch "living drug factories"

Houston Business Journal

April 16, 2026

Daniel Anderson, Robert Langer, and their former postdoc Omid Veiseh launched Duracyte, a biotechnology company that produces implantable "living drug factories" that replace repeated injections and infusions with continuous, self-adjusting dosing. Duracyte plans to begin clinical trials for recurrent ovarian cancer later this year.

Eliezer Calo on Ribosome Biogenesis in Disease

MIT News

April 9, 2026

Eliezer Calo investigates the genetic basis of craniofacial disorders, using disease-associated mutations to uncover fundamental mechanisms of protein synthesis. As highlighted in a recent MIT News profile, his work reveals how defects in ribosome biogenesis and nucleolar organization disrupt protein production and shape embryonic development.