MIT Researchers Win $25 Million to Innovate Cancer Immunotherapy Solutions

The Cancer Grand Challenges has selected five innovative teams for its 2024 initiative, featuring top researchers from MIT who will receive $25 million over five years to advance personalized cancer immunotherapy and novel treatment strategies.

MIT’s Interdisciplinary Teams Leading Cancer Innovation

The MATCHMAKERS team is led by Michael Birnbaum, an associate professor in Biological Engineering, collaborating with Regina Barzilay and Brandon DeKosky from the Koch Institute. This group aims to harness artificial intelligence to develop personalized immunotherapy tools that optimize cancer treatment responses.

Advancing T Cell Receptor Recognition with AI

Immunotherapies rely on T cells detecting antigens on cancer cells, but the diversity of T cell receptors complicates predicting patient responses. MATCHMAKERS plans to collect data on these receptors and antigens to create computational models that forecast recognition and aid clinical immunotherapy design.

“If successful, our findings could revolutionize T cell receptor recognition predictions, transforming them from a complex process limited to a few advanced laboratories into a routine clinical procedure accessible to many patients.” – Michael Birnbaum

Additional Teams Targeting Pediatric and Early-Onset Cancers

Seychelle Vos participates in Team KOODAC, focusing on protein degradation strategies to target “undruggable” cancer drivers in pediatric solid tumors. Funding is provided by Cancer Research UK and partners.

Ömer Yilmaz co-investigates on Team PROSPECT, which studies early-onset colorectal cancers in individuals under 50 by analyzing pathways, risk factors, and molecular contributors. The team is supported by Cancer Research UK and international collaborators.

Collaborative Funding and Impact

Funding sources include The Mark Foundation, Cancer Research UK, the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and international cancer organizations, underscoring a global commitment to innovative cancer research powered by AI and interdisciplinary collaboration.