 | Cancer Solutions science + engineering = conquering cancer together |
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| Volume 124: September 2023 |
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 | Eye on the STING Pathway The Irvine Lab showed a surprising new role for the immune-regulating protein STING in a study appearing in Science, done in collaboration with the Blainey Lab and the Broad Institute’s Hacohen group. The researchers found that in addition to turning on genes involved in cell defense, the STING protein also acts as an ion channel—a mechanism involved in cell signaling and bioelectrics. This is the first human immune sensor found to translate danger signals into ion flow. The findings could help researchers improve cancer therapies targeting STING, so that they stimulate the immune system to destroy tumors without damaging healthy tissues. |
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|  | Wearable Ultrasound for Cancer Detection KI alumna and Media Lab professor Canan Dagdeviren has designed a flexible, user-friendly 3D-printed patch that could be incorporated into a bra to enable earlier detection and more frequent monitoring of patients at high risk for breast cancer. She was also named one of three inaugural prize winners by MIT Future Founders Initiative, which promotes female entrepreneurship in biotech. |
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 | Better, Cheaper, Faster RNA Vaccines The Anderson Lab has engineered key vaccine components—both the nanoparticles that deliver the Covid-19 antigen, and the antigen itself—to boost immune response without a separate adjuvant. Such RNA vaccines could help reduce costs, reduce dosage needed, and potentially induce longer-lasting immunity. The vaccine may produce a strong enough response to be delivered intranasally. |
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| | Celebrate the Cambridge Science Festival with us September 28–October 1. Lunch and learn about cutting-edge cancer science and engineering, meet us at the carnival, or take in two stunning exhibitions combining art and science. |
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| Join us on the evening of September 28 for the unveiling of Multiplicities: An Artistic Exploration of Racial Disparities in Cancer Outcomes, a new exhibit curated by Boston-based art and racial health equity startup Nucarta. |
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| On November 2, cancer survivor and patient advocate Parul Somani ‘04 (VI) will join Koch Institute faculty members Angela Belcher, Sangeeta Bhatia, and Paula Hammond for a discussion about Intercepting Ovarian Cancer . |
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| Institute Professor Paula Hammond will begin her new role as as vice provost for faculty in December 2023. Hammond will oversee Institute-wide strategies and programs to support faculty excellence and advancement. |
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2023 MIT Excellence Award winner Nicole Henning was recognized for developing a new ultrasound-guided injection technique for the Robert A. Swanson (1969) Biotechnology Center. |
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Yaffe Lab researchers find that timing and dosage of DNA-damaging drugs are key to cell fate. The study has implications for how a class of cancer drugs called MEK inhibitors are used in combination with chemotherapy. |
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The Vander Heiden group’s new cell culture medium may improve cancer drug screening and response studies. |
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“My mentoring goal is to help students succeed when they move on to the next phase of their life. I never take them as just an extra pair of hands on a project. As a mentor, I aspire to help them characterize areas that need improvement and partner with them to bridge that gap.” |
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| The Calo Lab showed that a self-assembling protein acts as a scaffold for a biomolecular condensate to help form the nucleolus. Such condensates perform many key functions and are linked to disorders such as ALS and cancer. |
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The Traverso Lab made a wireless “pill” that tracks markers for gastrointestinal inflammation. A Nature study points to a variety of applications for the biosensor, including monitoring response to chemotherapies and vaccines. |
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We're looking for the best biomedical imagery for cancer and beyond. MIT researchers are welcome to send submissions for the 2024 Koch Institute Image Awards by October 16. |
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 | | Via TEDxBoston, postdoc Jan-Georg Rosenboom highlights his polymer research creating plastics useful for both recycling and drug-delivery-on-demand, and his work to improve recycling of medical and research plastics and keep them out of landfills and incinerators. |
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