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

Blog PostSeptember 16, 2019
Immunotherapy - implications for patients with mismatch repair deficient tumors
Presence of MSI-H in a dMMR tumor is correlated with the formation of novel small proteins that are recognized by T cells in the tumor microenvironment.
Search MagazineSeptember 04, 2019
Computing the etiology of cancer
What if, much like screening through genetic testing, we could learn how to better treat individual patients through their unique epigenetic markers? This is the question that Assistant Professor Sheng Li, Ph.D. tackles in her lab every day.
Research HighlightAugust 14, 2019
JAX postdoc Frederick Varn secures Fellowship from Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund
JAX postdoctoral associate Frederick Varn, Ph.D., has received a prestigious fellowship from the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research.
- Gliomas-Glioblastomas
- Cancer
Research HighlightJuly 17, 2019
JAX postdoc Kira Young lands ASH Scholar Award
JAX postdoctoral associate Kira Young, Ph.D., has received the ASH Scholar Award from the American Society for Hematology to support her research studying “old blood.” Young is using the award to understand the different types of white blood cells that make up the immune system and how they change as we age.
- Aging
- Cancer

Press ReleaseSeptember 13, 2019
The microbiome and the nursing home
JAX, UConn researchers explore how patients’ microbiome, and risk of infection, change after time in a skilled nursing facility.
Research HighlightAugust 21, 2019
New JAX-UConn computational tool
Online analysis tool, Protein-RNA Association Strength (PRAS), free for academic researchers.
- Neuroscience
- Cancer
Blog PostJuly 19, 2019
Hereditary Cancer Genetic Testing
Here are 5 of the most common questions about interpreting genetic test results.
- Cancer/Tumors
- Cancer
Search MagazineJuly 02, 2019
Who does what in a lab: scientist job titles explained
Ever wonder who does what in a research lab? We joined the Bolcun-Filas group for a day to learn about the scientists who work together on female fertility.