 | Swing States
Analyzing the RNA expression patterns of cancer cells can reveal their susceptibility to different drugs, according to new work from Shalek and Manalis Lab researchers and their Bridge Project collaborators. In a study of pancreatic cancer cells, published in Cell, the team also demonstrated that changes to the tumor microenvironment can drive cells from one RNA-expression state to another. Their findings suggest that it may be possible to treat some patients’ tumors more effectively by first modifying signals in the tumor micro-environment to lock it in a particular state, and then giving a drug that targets that state.
The work was funded in part by the Bridge Project and the Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology at MIT. |
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Standing Innovation
Congratulations to Paula Hammond on her election to the National Academy of Inventors Fellows Program. The program highlights academic inventors who have demonstrated a spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.
Hammond, who also serves on President Biden’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, spoke with The New York Times about bringing diverse perspectives to corporate boards. |
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Mirai Goes Global
Mirai, a machine learning model for breast cancer risk prediction, is heading to seven hospitals around the world. Researchers hope to minimize Mirai’s bias by testing its performance in patient populations with diverse clinical and demographic backgrounds. The model was developed by a team led by KI member Regina Barzilay and was recently featured in The Washington Post and on Good Morning America. |
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Organ-ic Questions in Cancer Biology New KI faculty member Kristin Knouse studies regeneration in the liver to understand how tissues sense and respond to damage. As a clinically trained cell biologist, Knouse has a joint interest in medical applications and fundamental biological questions, including how seemingly dormant cancer cells drive metastatic disease. |
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Immune Cell Masquerade
Spranger Lab researchers describe how a subset of immune cells known as type-2 conventional dendritic cells (DC2) cloak themselves in cancer-associated proteins to provoke an immune response against tumors. Their findings, published in Immunity, indicate that these stealthy operations are driven by the signaling molecule type-1 interferon, suggesting new strategies for targeted immunotherapy. |
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A Leader for All Seasons
On December 14, Matthew Vander Heiden, Tyler Jacks, Richard Hynes, and Phillip Sharp shared their thoughts on the origins, evolution, and future of cancer research at MIT. Moderated by President Emerita Susan Hockfield, the anniversary-themed directors panel celebrated the leadership and legacy of the Koch Institute and its predecessor, MIT’s Center for Cancer Research (CCR). Even the late Salvador Luria, founding director of the CCR, was present in spirit, as earlier in the evening faculty and guests gathered for the formal naming of the KI’s Salvador E. Luria Auditorium, an effort supported by community members and friends. |
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Progress, STAT
Cheers to Nancy Hopkins, winner of this year’s STAT Biomedical Innovation Award for her work in cancer biology and gender equity in science. The award was presented at this year’s STAT Summit, which also featured a panel discussion with fellow advocate and KI member Sangeeta Bhatia and others about the barriers faced by women in biotech.
The following day, STAT celebrated the 5 year anniversary of the STAT Wunderkinds program, which honors up-and-coming researchers working in medicine. KI member Salil Garg, a Charles W. (1955) and Jennifer C. Johnson Clinical Investigator, joined his fellow inaugural Wunderkinds to reflect on their experiences since their induction into the program in 2017. |
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Stem Cells Loom Large as Aging Factor
New research from the Amon Lab suggests that size is an important factor in cellular aging. The study, supported in part by the MIT Stem Cell Initiative and published in Science Advances, showed that blood stem cells grow larger as they age, and that as they grow in size, they become less able to generate new blood cells. |
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Creating a Cohort
Following on last year’s boot camp, the MIT Future Founders Initiative, initiated by KI members Sangeeta Bhatia, Susan Hockfield, and Nancy Hopkins, announced its $250K prize competition to promote female entrepreneurs in biotech. KI faculty members Laurie Boyer and Kristin Knouse are among the finalists, as is KI alum Canan Dagdeviren. Learn more about the program’s origins and goals in Bhatia’s recent interview with the Kendall Square Association. |
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More Powerful Vaccines
A potent adjuvant from the Irvine Lab significantly improves antibody production in mice after vaccination against HIV, diphtheria, and influenza. The immune system-boosting nanoparticle, described in a study published in Science Immunology and funded in part by the Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine, may also have applications for vaccines against Covid-19 and cancer. |
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Intermural Networks
Researchers from MIT’s Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning and the Koch Institute came together to discuss applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence in the study, detection, and treatment of cancer. The meeting, which included research presentations and a networking reception, laid the groundwork for future collaboration, partnerships, and exchanges. |
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Nano-mentary, My Dear Watson
Upstage Lung Cancer’s podcast episode, “What If Sherlock Holmes Had Cancer,” explores the use of nanoparticles to detect early clues to lung cancer. Expert witnesses include KI trainees Jesse Kirkpatrick and Christina Cabana, Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine Assistant Director Tarek Fadel, and KI Executive Director Jane Wilkinson. |
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Moderna Man
Nature Biotechnology has named KI faculty member and Moderna co-founder Robert Langer among the top 20 translational researchers of 2020. In an interview with Forbes contributor Jack Kelly, Langer discusses his career path from struggling graduate student to MIT Institute Professor, reflecting on the the importance of mentorship, dreaming big, and learning how to deal with failure. |
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