Jackson Laboratory

The Ren Lab

Principal Investigator: Guangwen "Gary" Ren, Ph.D.

The Jackson Laboratory
Bar Harbor, ME

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To study tumor microenvironment and tumor immunology in cancer therapeutic resistance and metastatic relapse

OUR RESEARCH FOCUS

The Ren group mainly focuses on elucidating how mesenchymal lineage cells (mesenchymal stem cells and fibroblasts) and immune-regulatory myeloid cells (neutrophils and macrophages) modulate the adaptive immune responses in cancer treatment resistance and metastatic relapse. These studies will fully take advantage of the unique research platform--patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors in humanized mouse models at The Jackson Laboratory, with the research goal to develop novel strategies targeting tumor microenvironment to improve the efficacies of conventional cancer therapies and new therapeutics such as immunotherapy.

Full Scientific Report

The Jackson Laboratory Cancer Center

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Open Positions

Job	Job Title	Location	Description

Lab Staff

Li Hua, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate

Stromal cells may provide a positive or negative role in modulating the immunotherapy.
Peishan Li, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate

Dissecting the Roles of MSC and Adipocytes in Cancer Metastasis
Guangwen "Gary" Ren, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

To study tumor microenvironment and tumor immunology in cancer therapeutic resistance and metastatic relapse.

Selected Publications

Highlighted Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), also called multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells, exist in almost all tissues and are a key cell source for tissue repair and regeneration. Under pathological conditions, such as tissue injury, these cells are mobilized towards the site of damage. Tissue damage is usually accompanied by proinflammatory factors, produced by both innate and adaptive immune responses, to which MSCs are known to respond. Indeed, recent studies have shown that there are bidirectional interactions between MSCs and inflammatory cells, which determine the outcome of MSC-mediated tissue repair processes. Although many details of these interactions remain to be elucidated, we provide here a synthesis of the current status of this newly emerging and rapidly advancing field.

View full list of publications

Search MagazineApril 01, 2020
Cancer: Does it run in the family?
Helping clinicians take better family histories improves patient cancer risk assessments.
Research HighlightMarch 18, 2020
Raising the bar for PDX model cancer research
The results of a new PDXNet consortium study provide a key validation toward translating xenograft findings into clinical treatments for cancer patients.
Search MagazineMarch 04, 2020
Overcoming breast cancer chemotherapy resistance
The National Cancer Institute has awarded Jackson Laboratory cancer researcher Gary Ren a five-year grant totaling $1,946,663 to study how chemotherapy-induced changes in the lung stroma foster the growth of metastatic breast tumor cells in the lung.
Research HighlightFebruary 10, 2020
Immune system changes with age differ between men and women
A research team led by Duygu Ucar and Jacques Banchereau analyzed immune cells from a large cohort of healthy people spanning the adult life span and found significant differences in immune gene regulation and function between the sexes that increased with age.
- Aging
- Aging

Research HighlightMarch 20, 2020
JAX bites back at dog cancer, with surprising results!
Jackson Laboratory professor Dr. Roel Verhaak performed a study of cancer in dogs, looking for symptoms and cause of dog cancerous tumors on dogs, and in doing so, found some surprising connections to cancer in people.
- Cancer/Tumors
- Cancer
Press ReleaseMarch 10, 2020
Sheng Li named an AACR NextGen Star
Jackson Laboratory (JAX) Assistant Professor Sheng Li, Ph.D., was chosen as a 2020 NextGen Star by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). She is one of 12 early-career cancer researchers recognized for their outstanding work and future potential.
Research HighlightFebruary 10, 2020
Finding a cure for Fido's brain cancer may help us find a cure for ourselves
JAX Professor Roel Verhaak has thoroughly analyzed sporadic canine gliomas and found that their molecular characteristics, including gene mutations and duplications, resemble those of humans.
- Cancer/Tumors
- Cancer
Press ReleaseDecember 18, 2019
JAX receives $2.5M from The Mark Foundation for breakthrough cancer immunotherapy project
The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) has received $2.5 million from The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research to study in mice the influence of host genetics on response to immunotherapy. The goal of this project is to generate insights that will empower future decisions about the best treatments for cancer patients based on their genetic backgrounds.
- Cancer/Tumors
- Cancer