The Ren Lab
To study tumor microenvironment and tumor immunology in cancer therapeutic resistance and metastatic relapse
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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.
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Research HighlightApril 15, 2021New insights into ecDNA function advances cancer research
JAX researchers report in Cancer Cell further insight into yet another way extrachromosomal, circular DNA (ecDNA) may promote cancer. -
Press ReleaseApril 13, 2021Lenny Shultz joins new JDRF Center of Excellence to advance Type 1 Diabetes research
JDRF has announced the launch of the JDRF Center of Excellence in New England. The new center is comprised of a team of experts from institutions in New England including JAX’s Lenny Shultz, Ph.D. -
Research HighlightFebruary 01, 2021Novel antibody tests reveal complexity of immune response to covid-19
The interaction of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus causing the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the human immune system has been the focus of intensive research. -
Research HighlightJanuary 18, 2021JAX uses genetic models to fight CUP
A JAX team developed CUP-AI-Dx, a machine learning tool that uses RNA sequence data for analysis. The researchers show that CUP-AI-Dx provides an important clinical tool to help guide therapies for CUP patients.
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Research HighlightApril 13, 2021Olga Anczuków seeks to thwart a driver of cancer
JAX Assistant Professor Olga Anczuków, Ph.D., has shed new light on the role of MYC in regulating alternative RNA splicing, a process in which genes called splicing factors enable a single gene to code for multiple unique proteins, or isoforms. -
Press ReleaseMarch 12, 2021Three new endowed chairs to lead Alzheimer’s, addiction, and cancer research
The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) has appointed three faculty members to endowed chairs in order to further research into Alzheimer’s disease, addiction, cancer and computational biology. -
Blog PostJanuary 20, 2021Advancing Humanized NSGTM Mice for Immuno-Oncology Testing
Immunologically humanized NSGTM and its variant strains are a powerful system that facilitates cutting-edge in vivo preclinical testing of a wide range of immuno-oncology therapeutic candidates. -
Research HighlightJanuary 12, 2021Few mutations, important difference in cancer cells
JAX Professor Sheng Li, Ph.D., presents a tool, epihet, that automates the epigenetic analysis of AML cells. epihet allows researchers to assess epigenetic differences between cells, identify genomic locations where the differences occur, and associate cellular epigenetic profiles with cancer-related biological function.