3/16/2011  In conjunction with the MIT150 celebration, a special on-campus symposium will be held on March 16 to review how the sciences and engineering converge on cancer at MIT.   As our faculty and students begin to chart the next course in cancer research, we will celebrate the unique role they have played in its history and illustrate how and why MIT researchers are converging their disciplines to conquer cancer.  A series of moderated panel discussions—to include top biologists, leading clinical experts, technologists, and biomedical engineers—will engage the audience in exploration of three topics:

• What were the defining (and teaching) moments in the first three decades of the War on Cancer?
• How is convergence changing the cancer research paradigm at MIT?
• What clinical results can we expect to come from the deployment of new approaches to cancer research?

The program will run 8:30 am–5 pm on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 in the Kresge Auditorium.

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3/7/11   A KI team has identified potential drugs that amplify the cellular stress caused by too many chromosomes, known as aneuploidy. When designing new cancer drugs, biologists often target specific gene mutations found only in cancer cells, or in a subset of cancer cells.  The team of biologists led by Angelica Amon from the Koch Institute is now taking a slightly different approach, targeting a trait shared by nearly all cancer cells — they have too many chromosomes.  In cancer cells, aneuploidy appears to confer a survival advantage.  “We’re interested in this because the vast majority of human cancers are aneuploid," says Professor Amon. "The question arises, can we exploit the fact that all tumor cells are aneuploid for treatment? Compounds that selectively kill aneuploid cells would be effective against a broad spectrum of human tumors.”

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3/4/11   On the Koch Institute formal dedication day, the Boston Globe's front page reported that the "magnificent mile of science in Kendall Square greets its newest tenant today."   Sharing a block with other temples of science erected by deep-pocketed philanthropists, the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT is a bold statement that a university with no medical school intends to remain at the vanguard of fighting cancer. The premium address reflects a university-wide commitment, staked out by MIT president Susan Hockfield, to make cancer exploration a cornerstone of the school in this century.  The new Public Galleries debuted this same day and was designed to catch the eyes and minds of passing pedestrians. Ten startlingly beautiful images of viruses, cells, and proteins — some more than 7 feet in diameter and others 7 feet square — greet, invite and engage people passing by.  Glass vitrines containing electronic storyboards and technical objects are boldly on display along with video arrays articulating the candid thoughts of those who confront cancer from all sides.  

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2/22/11     MIT engineers have designed a new type of nanoparticle that could safely and effectively deliver next generation vaccines. The new particles, described in the Feb. 20 issue of Nature Materials, consist of concentric fatty spheres that can carry synthetic versions of proteins normally produced by viruses. These synthetic particles elicit a strong immune response — comparable to that produced by live virus vaccines — but should be much safer, says Koch Institute's Darrell Irvine, author of the paper and an associate professor of materials science and engineering and biological engineering.

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2/11/11   Matthew Vander Heiden, assistant professor of biology and member of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, has been named a 2011 recipient of the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award.   The $450,000 grant, spread over three years, is awarded to early career scientists whose projects have the potential to significantly impact the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

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2/8/11   Two KI faculty members — Michael Cima and Linda Griffith — are among the newest members elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) on Feb. 8.  MIT President Emeritus Charles M. Vest, NAE president since 2007, announced the new members this week.   Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.  Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature."

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