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Tardi-grade A science

MIT News

February 26, 2025

About 60 percent of cancer patients in the U.S. receive radiation therapy, which can have severe side effects. In a study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, a team led by Giovanni Traverso discovered that a protein from tardigrades (microscopic "water bears") can protect human cells from radiation damage, minimizing treatment side effects.

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Less is more

MIT News

September 20, 2024

Irvine lab researchers developed a two-dose regimen that could make HIV vaccines more effective. In a study appearing in Science Immunology, the team reduced a schedule of seven escalating doses over two weeks to just two doses over one week. The new regimen is more practical for mass vaccination campaigns, but was similarly effective in mice at promoting strong antibody responses that will be critical for a successful HIV vaccine. The study uncovered biological mechanisms behind the vaccine response that could inform ongoing clinical trials and development of vaccines for other diseases.

The sweet science of tumor-fighting cells

MIT News

September 16, 2024

Laura L. Kiessling, Jeremiah A. Johnson, Alex K. Shalek, and Darrell Irvine have discovered a new strategy to reprogram immune cells for effective mobilization against cancer. In an ACS Publications study, the team coated virus-like particles with glycans to activate dendritic cells. These cells, in turn, sound the alarm to T cells, creating a robust anti-tumor response—laying the groundwork for a new generation of tumor vaccines.

The spleen’s crucial role in T cell tumor response

MIT Koch Institute

September 13, 2024

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy can effectively treat some patients by enhancing T cell response to cancer—but it doesn't work for everyone. New research from Stefani Spranger, published in Science Immunology, points to the spleen as a critical site for reinvigorating anti-tumor immune response following ICB.

Dr. Jeremiah Johnson Wins Yosemite-ACS Award

American Cancer Society

September 12, 2024

Congratulations to Dr. Jeremiah Johnson for winning the prestigious Yosemite-ACS Award! Johnson received the award for his pioneering research on overcoming therapeutic resistance through cell-specific targeting of the tumor microenvironment with antibody-bottlebrush prodrug conjugates. This award, part of a $6 million grant initiative by the American Cancer Society and Yosemite, recognizes his dedication and innovative approach to cancer treatment.
 

Welcome, Professor Henry!

MIT Koch Institute

September 8, 2024

Over the summer, Whitney Henry officially joined the Koch Institute faculty. Henry works to uncover the molecular factors that induce a cell to undergo ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death. Her aim is to develop adjuvant cancer therapies that target subpopulations of cancer cells that are highly metastatic and therapy resistant.

Cancer moonshot boosts CisionVision

PR Newswire

September 6, 2024

CisionVision, co-founded by KI’s Angela Belcher and former trainee and Convergence Scholar Jeremy Li, has secured up to $22 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Precision Surgical Interventions (PSI) program. This grant, part of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, supports developing advanced imaging technology to help surgeons visualize critical anatomy without dyes.    

How sweet it is

Boston Globe

September 6, 2024

Bob Langer now has a chocolate named after him. Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium in Falmouth has introduced Dr. Bob's Dark Chocolate Maple Syrup Cream, inspired by his love of maple. Bob is a longtime regular of the shop — its old-timey feel and candy-filled shelves remind Bob of his favorite childhood candy store in Albany.  

Meet the 2024 Amon Award Winners

MIT Koch Institute

September 3, 2024

The Koch Institute at MIT is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Angelika Amon Young Scientist Award, Anna Uzonyi and Lukas Teoman Henneberg. The prize was established in 2021 to recognize graduate students in the life sciences or biomedical research from institutions outside the United States who embody Dr. Amon’s infectious enthusiasm for discovery science. 



 

Fast track to healing could spell tumor trouble

MIT News

August 21, 2024

A new study from the Yilmaz Lab demonstrates the benefits and downside of fasting.

While low-calorie diets and intermittent fasting are known to boost intestinal regeneration and aid recovery from injuries or inflammation, this study, published in Nature, reveals something new: it also leads to a higher risk of cancer in mice. Further studies are needed before forming any conclusion as to whether fasting has a similar effect in humans.

This research was funded in part by the MIT Stem Cell Initiative, the Koch Institute Frontier Research Program via the Kathy and Curt Marble Cancer Research Fund, and the Bridge Project.
 

There's no place like home

MIT Koch Institute

August 19, 2024

Vander Heiden Lab researchers showed that metastasized cancer cells prefer the nutrient landscape of their home tissue and retain more of their metabolic programming than previously thought. Their results, published in Nature Metabolism, suggest that the metabolic programs developed in a cancer cell’s tissue of origin may limit where it can metastasize.

This study was funded in part by the Lustgarten Foundation, the MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, the Ludwig Center at MIT, and the Emerald Foundation.