News

Predicting Peptides with CleaveNet

MIT News

January 6, 2026

Bhatia Lab researchers have developed CleaveNet, a novel AI system described in Nature Communications, to design peptides that could be cleaved efficiently and specifically by proteases of interest, such as enzymes overactive in cancer. 

How does high fat diet drive tumors?

MIT News

December 22, 2025

A new Cell study from the Shalek and Yilmaz labs suggests liver cells exposed to too much fat—via high fat diet—revert to an immature state that is more susceptible to cancer-causing mutations. Partly supported by the MIT Stem Cell Initiative, the researchers showed that chronic metabolic stress causes individual liver cells to prioritize their own survival over activities important for the tissue and organ as a whole; they also uncovered specific molecular mechanisms by which this occurs.

Sweet Sabotage: Disarming Cancer’s Sugary Defense

MIT News

December 16, 2025

Stark Lab researchers have developed a protein therapeutic that disables an immune “brake” engaged by cancer cells via cell surface sugars called glycans. A study published in Nature Biotechnology shows their multifunctional molecules, called AbLecs, can block glycan-mediated immune suppression and boost anti-cancer immune responses across multiple cancers. Combining a tumor-targeting antibody with a lectin, or glycan-binding receptor, AbLecs are now in translational development at Valora Therapeutics, co-founded by Stark.

A Shot at Simpler Antibody Treatments

MIT News

December 11, 2025

Antibody treatments for cancer and other diseases are typically delivered intravenously, requiring hours-long hospital visits for each dose. The Doyle Lab’s new approach, reported in Advanced Materials, packs highly concentrated antibodies into solid microparticles that dissolve quickly after injection, fitting full doses in a standard syringe. This makes treatment faster, easier, and more accessible for patients who have difficulty getting to a hospital. 

The Koch Institute's Top Research Stories of 2025

MIT Koch Institute

December 11, 2025

As the year draws to a close, we’re excited to spotlight some of the most innovative and impactful research from the Koch Institute this year. 

Weinberg on Cancer, Cabins, and Community

CancerWorld

December 9, 2025

From describing his career launch as “a series of accidents” to revealing The Hallmarks of Cancer began as a conversation on the side of a volcano, Bob Weinberg shares lesser-known anecdotes from his career as an indisputably formative pioneer of cancer research in a CancerWorld feature. Having formally closed his lab at the end of 2025, the founding faculty member of MIT’s Center for Cancer Research reflects on more than 50 years of science, quiet leadership, and life.  

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya Visits MIT

MIT News

December 8, 2025

National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya joined Rep. Jake Auchincloss at MIT for a wide‑ranging discussion on NIH’s "unified strategy" for reviewing grant applications, the importance of idea generation and rigorous testing, and support for early‑career scientists amid changes in grant review processes.

Hammond to Head School of Engineering

MIT News

December 5, 2025

The KI proudly shares the announcement of Institute Professor Paula Hammond, ’84, PhD ’93 as MIT’s new Dean of Engineering. A pioneering researcher, dedicated mentor, and highly effective leader, Paula is known for her creative, collaborative, and grounded approaches. She previously served as department head, vice provost for faculty and executive vice provost.  

New immunotherapeutic targets for glioblastoma

MIT Koch Institute

November 26, 2025

Immunotherapies have not proven effective in glioblastoma, a common form of brain tumor that is unusually resistant to infiltration and attack by T cells. Glioblastoma tumors recruit and transform another immune cell, macrophages, to keep T cells at bay. Researchers led by Forest White mapped antigen profiles of macrophages and glioblastoma cells in co-culture, discovering that both types of cells evolved when grown together and identifying several new targets for immunotherapies. The team, which included Stefani Spranger and former KI member Darrell Irvine, developed immunostimulatory therapies to test six candidate target, finding that mouse models of glioblastoma showed significantly slowed tumor growth overall and, in a few cases, tumors were completely eradicated.  The study, published in Cancer Research,  was funded in part by the MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine.

Introducing the 2025 Karches Prize winners

November 25, 2025

Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Peter Karches Mentorship Prize: Fangtao Chi, Emma Dawson, Amy Lee, and Richard Van. The Peter Karches Mentorship Prize is awarded annually to up to four Koch Institute postdocs, graduate students or research technicians who demonstrate exemplary mentorship of undergraduate researchers or high school students in their labs. The prize allows the Koch Institute community to celebrate and recognize the critical role that mentors play, both personally and professionally, in the early stages of a scientist’s career.