Cancer

A new technique invented at MIT can precisely measure the growth of many individual cells simultaneously. “The device provides new insights into how cells grow and respond to drugs,” MIT professor Scott Manalis says.

Microchip enables fast, precise measurement of single-cell growth

Device that measures growth of many individual cells simultaneously could lead to rapid tests for antibiotics.

September 5, 2016

MIT researchers have added an extra layer of control to the CRISPR gene-editing approach, by making the system responsive to light.

Using light to control genome editing

New technique offers precise manipulation of when and where genes are targeted.

August 25, 2016

“I love to work on new ideas and develop new kinds of tools to tackle basic questions,” says PhD student Tim Wang.

Targeting genes by the thousands

PhD student Tim Wang uses CRISPR to take a big-picture approach to cancer research.

August 2, 2016

In humans and most other organisms, a circadian clock governed by light regulates the timing of key aspects of human physiology, by controlling cellular activities such as metabolism and division.

Why working the night shift can pose a cancer risk

New study reveals a link between circadian clock disruption and tumor growth.

July 28, 2016

Researchers at MIT are developing an adhesive patch that can stick to a tumor site, either before or after surgery. The patch delivers a triple-combination of drug, gene, and photo (light-based) therapy via specially designed nanospheres and nanorods, shown here attacking a tumor cell.

Patch that delivers drug, gene, and light-based therapy to tumor sites shows promising results

In mice, device destroyed colorectal tumors and prevented remission after surgery.

July 25, 2016

Researchers at MIT and the University of California at San Diego have delivered artificial genetic circuits into bacteria, allowing the microbes to kill cancer cells in three different ways. Here, an image of a motherboard has been micropatterned using programmable probiotic bacteria. The bright lines are composed of dots made of bacteria. This technique was developed in the lab of MIT professor S...

Cancer-fighting bacteria

Engineers program E. coli to destroy tumor cells.

July 20, 2016

MIT researchers discovered that certain genes in endometrial cancer are inactivated in only some parts of the tumor. Tumor suppressor ARID1A is expressed in the primary tumor (left, brown staining) but not in its paired metastasis (right).

Study sheds light on role of mutations in metastasized cancer

Researchers identify genes that mutate in endometrial cancer, create a family tree describing the evolutionary history of the disease.

July 5, 2016

A photo of three microfluidic devices filled with food color dyes. The device, about the size of a credit card, is designed to help scientists narrow in on safe ranges of electric fields that might be used to noninvasively treat breast, lung, and other forms of cancer.

New microfluidic device offers means for studying electric field cancer therapy

Low-intensity fields keep malignant cells from spreading, while preserving healthy cells.

July 5, 2016

“This nanoformulation approach allows us to make vaccines against new diseases in only seven days, allowing the potential to deal with sudden outbreaks or make rapid modifications and improvements,” says Daniel Anderson, an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering and a member of MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Institute for Medical Engineeri...

Engineers design programmable RNA vaccines

Tests in mice show the vaccines work against Ebola, influenza, and a common parasite.

July 4, 2016

A new report, “Convergence: The Future of Health,” draws on insights from scientists and researchers across academia, industry, and government. The cover of the report is an image of lungs, one of the major sites of metastasis. To help protect the lungs (blue) from this deadly process, bioengineers have created microscopic drug depots (red) to focus the effect of anti-cancer drugs that may hav...

A strategy for “convergence” research to transform biomedicine

Report calls for more integration of physical, life sciences for needed advances in biomedical research.

June 23, 2016

A research team led by MIT chemistry professor Mohammad Movassaghi has developed a strategy for synthesizing a group of compounds called communesins, which occur naturally in some fungi. Researchers may now be able to further investigate the compounds’ cancer-fighting abilities. Pictured is an image of penicillium fungus.

A new approach to chemical synthesis

Communesins, originally found in fungus, could hold potential as cancer drugs.

June 7, 2016

A Massachusetts General Hospital surgeon demonstrates the Lincoln Laboratory’s near-infrared fluorescence imaging (NIRF) system.

Glowing tumors light a path to cancer treatment

Mechanism developed at MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital shows promising results for improved ovarian cancer detection and removal.

May 20, 2016

MIT $100K grand-prize-winning team Astraeus Technologies (left to right): Graham Lieberman, Jay Kumar, Alexander Blair, and Joseph Azzarelli.

Lung cancer “breathalyzer” wins $100K Entrepreneurship Competition

Team’s smartphone-connected device can detect lung cancer early from a single breath.

May 12, 2016

(Left to right) Matteo Ligorio, Laura Indolfi, and Elazer Edelman.

Implantable device targets pancreatic cancer

Chemotherapy delivered directly to tumors may slow the disease.

April 14, 2016

Winning team IllumiRNA (shown here) pitched an idea for a diagnostic platform that profiles individual cells in blood tests.

Method for earlier detection of leukemia wins $300,000 grant

Team takes home grand prize from Koch Institute’s unique research-grant pitch competition.

April 11, 2016

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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