News

Golden particles join a DNA strand.

Precision gene editing

MIT News

September 17, 2025

Robert Langer, Phillip Sharp, and research scientist Vikash Chauhan developed an engineered prime editing system, reported in Nature, that reduces unintended DNA changes by up to 60-fold. The new gene editor could make it easier to explore cell biology questions, such as how populations of cancer cells evolve, as well as develop gene therapy treatments for cancer and other diseases.

Filter by

Filter by Title/Description

Filter by Topic

Filter by Year

Showing 271–280 of 683 stories

It Takes All Kinases

MIT News

January 11, 2023

Michael Yaffe, together with longtime collaborators Lew Cantley and Benjamin Turk, created an atlas of protein kinases—signaling molecules that regulate nearly all cellular functions. This resource, described in Nature, could accelerate the pursuit of new cancer drugs and help physicians customize treatment to specific tumors.
 

Kronos in Collaboration

Kronos Bio

January 9, 2023

Kronos Bio, co-founded by Angela Koehler to tackle “undruggable” cancer targets, has launched a collaboration with Genentech. Genentech will leverage Kronos Bio’s drug discovery platform—including its small molecule microarray—to identify compounds that modify difficult-to-target transcription factors, with the aim of developing more effective treatments for cancer patients.

Celebrating Together (Again)

MIT Koch Institute

January 6, 2023

In late 2022, an in-person celebration of the recipients of the Peter Karches Mentorship Prize took place for the first time in three years, bringing together multiple cohorts of winners with family members and friends of Peter Karches to recognize their contributions. The 2022 awardees were Stephanie Gaglione, Sofia Hu, Allen Jiang, and Chris Nabel.

Suono Doses First Patient

Medical Device Network

January 5, 2023

Langer/Traverso Lab startup Suono Bio has dosed its first patient with SuonoCalm, an ultrasound-based platform that enhances the delivery of nucleic acids, biologics, and other drugs that are too large or delicate to be absorbed effectively by the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical testing begins with a drug for ulcerative colitis (a known cancer risk factor) and could expand to additional diseases, including cancer.
 

Fascination of Science at the KI

MIT News

January 5, 2023

The Koch Institute is delighted to host Fascination of Science, an exhibition by renowned German portrait photographer Herlinde Koelbl. Having interviewed dozens of top scientists from around the world, Koelbl has captured the essence of their inspiration and pursuits of knowledge. View selected portraits, including those of KI members Sangeeta Bhatia, Ed Boyden, Robert Langer, and Robert Weinberg, in the Koch Institute Public Galleries through the end of January 2023. The installation was produced by the German Consulate General Boston. 

Thanks for the Cellular Memories

MIT News

January 2, 2023

Boyden Lab researchers programmed cells to produce protein chains that record the timing of gene and pathway activation during cellular events. The chains, described in in Nature Biotechnology, can be imaged through light microscopy. The technique could illuminate various cellular functions, including cancer-relevant processes like therapeutic response and gene expression. 

Celebrating Young Scientists

MIT Koch Institute

December 13, 2022

On Nov. 17, the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research hosted the inaugural winners of the Angelika Amon Young Scientist Award, Alejandro Aguilera Castrejón and Melanie de Almeida, both recognized for their passion for fundamental biology and discovery science.

A+ Microparticles

MIT News

December 12, 2022

Jaklenec/Langer Lab researchers are using polymer microparticles to fight vitamin A deficiency, the world’s leading cause of childhood blindness. Their approach, which was featured in the 2021 Image Awards and published in PNAS, provides the encapsulated vitamin A with much-needed stability under harsh cooking and storage conditions and shows good absorption in humans.

Liftoff for Dragonfly Trials

Dragonfly Therapeutics

December 8, 2022

Following on the announcement of Phase 2 advancement of their first NK-cell-based immunotherapy, KI startup company Dragonfly Therapeutics has dosed their first patient in the Phase 1/2 trial of another drug, DF9001. The sixth in an exciting pipeline of Dragonfly drugs to enter clinical trials, DF9001 is being tested alone and in combination with PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors.

Handle With Care

MIT News

December 7, 2022

KI member Michael Birnbaum has been recognized by MIT’s Office of Graduate Education as “Committed to Caring" for his wide-reaching support for students and his departmental leadership. The current cohort of honorees also includes the late Angelika Amon.