Platelets -- the blood cells that normally promote clotting -- are known to promote the metastatic spread of cancer, but the exact mechanism has remained unclear.  In the Nov. 14th issue of Cancer Cell, KI researchers report that platelets give off chemical signals that induce tumor cells to become more invasive and plant themselves in new locations. These findings may lead to new interventions to block metastasis. read more

Koch Institute and Whitehead Institute scientists have developed a new technique for growing human embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The research was published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Scientists found that by placing polystyrene cell culture plates under UV radiation for a mere 2.5 minutes, they can generate surface chemistries that promote impressive stem cell growth. This new surface triples growth in culture and eliminates the need for layers of contaminating “feeder cells.” Because ES and iPS cells can regenerate and become almost any cell type, they can help scientists model difficult-to-study diseases like cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and could one day be used for therapeutic transplantation. read more
 

Since moving in one year ago, the Koch Institute has been thirty percent more energy efficient than a standard laboratory research building and is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified research laboratory facility, as rated by the U.S. Building Green Council. read more

A collaborative team including KI researchers successfully delivered short strands of RNA to reduce inflammation. The findings are reported in the October 9, 2011 issue of Nature Biotechnology and could eventually lead to treatments for cancer and heart disease patients. read more

Rudolf Jaenisch has been recognized for his work that has led to major advances in our understanding of mammalian cloning and embryonic stem cells.  The White House said, "Jaenisch is being lauded for improving our understanding of epigenetic regulation of gene expression" read more