The Jacks Lab is interested in the genetic events contributing to the development of cancer. The focus of our research has been a series of mouse strains engineered to carry mutations in genes known to be involved in human cancer. more >>

Tyler Jacks - 2015 MIT’s James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award - our fearless leader, cancer biologist and Koch Institute director, is recognized with MIT faculty’s top honor. See the News & Events page for more information.
Life Lessons from 34 Years of Fighting Cancer - inspirational talk from our own fearless leader Tyler Jacks at TEDxCambridge. <a href="http://www.tedxcambridge.com/portfolio-item/tyler-jacks/" style="color: #6699FF">Watch video</a>
Our understanding of the role of the tumor microenvironment in the development and progression of lung cancer remains rudimentary. The Jacks Lab wants to determine whether the stroma contributes to tumor progression, as insights into the interactions between tumor and stromal cells may provide new opportunities for more focused therapeutic strategies. Immunofluorescent image using two different stromal-specific antibodies (in red and green) and a nuclear stain (in blue).
Tumors require large amounts of oxygen and nutrients to fuel their rapid growth. How do they acquire these resources? Here, a lung tumor (green) extends to the right, infiltrating healthy lung tissue, rich in nutrient-carrying blood vessels (red). The Jacks Lab is interested in understanding the nature of the communication between cancer cells and blood vessels.
Modeling the Growth of a Tumor. Although it is known that certain gene mutations trigger tumor formation, the subsequent cellular events driving cancer progression are not well understood. Cell-specific fluorescence allow us to track cells over the course of cancer development. Image shows mutated (green) and non-mutated (red and yellow) cells in a pancreas.

Tyler Jacks is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. Our studies are also supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research, the Lustgarten Foundation and the Department of Defense. Prof. Jacks is a Daniel K. Ludwig Scholar and the David H. Koch Professor of Biology at MIT.