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Cancer Solutionsscience + engineering = conquering cancer together |
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A new mechanism for an old drugSince the 1950s, the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been commonly used to treat many cancers with the understanding that it works by damaging DNA and inhibiting the synthesis of its building blocks. A new study from the Yaffe Lab shows instead that, when used clinically for colon and other gastrointestinal cancers, the drug actually kills tumor cells by interfering with RNA synthesis important for making new ribosomes. The findings, published inCell Reports Medicine, help explain how treatments that combine 5-FU with DNA-damaging chemotherapies could be modified to increase patient survival, and can also inform the design of better drug combinations for these cancers. |
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 | The spleen’s crucial role in T cell tumor responseImmune 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 inScience Immunology, points to the spleen as a critical site for reinvigorating anti-tumor immune response following ICB. This work was supported in part by a fellowship from the Ludwig Center at MIT and performed by late Spranger lab member Brendan Horton. |
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|  | The sweet science of tumor-fighting cellsLaura Kiessling, Jeremiah Johnson, Alex 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. |
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| Nobel for alums Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun Congratulations to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun on receiving the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering microRNA and its role in gene regulation. Ambros earned his graduate degree at KI predecessor the MIT Center for Research with David Baltimore. Ambros then joined the lab of H. Robert Horvitz, where he and Ruvkun conducted postdoctoral work that laid the foundation for this groundbreaking insight, crucial to understanding multicellular development. |
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Congratulations to Padmini Pillai on her appointment to the prestigious 2024-2025 White House Fellows Program! In the Langer Lab, Padmini is bridging the gap between discoveries in immunology and advances in biomaterial design to treat human disease. Watch the video to hear more about her project to force tumor cells to self-destruct using mRNA nanotherapy. |
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| Sangeeta Bhatia receives KSA Founder AwardSangeeta Bhatia is one of two inaugural recipients of the Kendall Square Association’s Founder Awards, along with Johnson & Johnson Innovation’s Michal Preminger. The awards were presented at the KSA Annual Meeting on October 1, accompanied by contributions to Science Club for Girls and Innovators for Purpose in their honor. |
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| Kaitlyn Sadtler makes TIME100 Next listAlum Kaitlyn Sadtler has landed a spot on the TIME100 Next list, which recognizes emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership. In the Langer and Anderson labs, Sadtler focused on how the modulation of immune response influenced tissue development. |
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| Johnson wins Yosemite-ACS AwardCheers to 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, an oncology-focused venture capital firm, recognizes his dedication and innovative approach to cancer treatment. |
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| Fierce BreakthroughsCongratulations to Catherine Wu, named one of Fierce Pharma’s Fierce 50 of 2024 in the Breakthroughs category. The annual awards spotlight people and companies driving meaningful change in healthcare, pharma and biotech. Partly supported by a Bridge Project collaboration with Bradley Pentelute (KI/MIT) and Patrick Ott (DFCI), Wu (DFCI) has led promising efforts to develop personalized therapeutic cancer vaccines, now in several clinical trials spanning multiple solid and liquid tumors. CRISPR Thx, co-founded by Dan Anderson, was also recognized for translating CRISPR gene-editing technologies into recently approved treatments for sickle cell disease and thalassemia, alongside efforts to expand into oncology and other disease areas. |
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| Less is moreIrvine 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. |
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| Compressed is (also) moreThe Shalek lab developed a new compressed screening platform to reduce the sample size, labor and cost needed to analyze the effects of biochemical perturbations on cellular phenotypes in disease model systems, such as cancer organoids. The team demonstrated the platform's capabilities for drug screening and biological inquiry in a Nature Biotechnology study by examining the impact of tumor microenvironment ligands on pancreatic cancer organoids. |
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