News

(September 6, 2022) We have published a paper on rising incidence of early-onset cancers in many countries in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41571-022-00672-8).  This story has been widespread in media and drawn much attention.

(January 19, 2021) We have published a paper in PNAS that recommends standardization of nomenclature for gene products including proteins (https://www.pnas.org/content/118/3/e2025207118).  This is a group effort by an international panel of experts in diverse fields and associated with the Human Genome Organisation (HUGO) Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC) and the Human Genome Variation Society (HGVS).  We continue our effort to achieve this important standardization with easy implementation for future science.

(November 20, 2020) The MPE Lab has published a new review on early-onset colorectal cancer in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41571-020-00445-1).  Early-onset cancer of many organ sites have been increasing for unknown reasons and it is the top question in NCI’s 2020 Provocative Questions.

(September 1, 2020) Shanshan Shi, who has been a research fellow in the MPE Lab, has started Master (MPH) program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.  She will continue to be a lab member.

(May 1, 2020) NCI R01 CA248857 (PI, Shuji Ogino, Ulrike Peters, Amanda Phipps) has started.

(July 1, 2019) Melissa Zhao, MD, who has been a member of the MPE Lab, will start residency in pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School.  She will continue her roles in the MPE Lab.

(January 23, 2019) Our OPTIMISTICC Team (which is of course optimistic!) has won Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Grand Challenge (GC) $25M (20M pounds) grant, to study the role of microbiome in cancer, especially colorectal cancer.

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/funding-for-researchers/how-we-deliver-research/grand-challenge-award/Manipulating-the-microbiome-to-beat-bowel-cancer

https://www.onclive.com/sap-partner/cancer-centers/dana-farber/danafarber-researchers-win-grand-challenge-funding-from-cancer-research-uk

(March 2018) Kana Wu and Shuji Ogino (Co-PIs) received priority score of 14 (1 %tile) in R21 grant proposal.

(2017) Kana Wu and Reiko Nishihara (Co-PIs) started receiving R21 funding.

(July 17, 2017) We now have new website for the International Molecular Pathological Epidemiology (MPE) Meeting Series!

www.mpemeeting.org/

(July 1, 2017) Annacarolina da Silva, MD, who is one of the Co-Leaders and one of the Lead Postdoctoral Fellows of the MPE Lab, will start residency in anatomic pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School.  She will continue her roles in the MPE Lab.

(June 10, 2017) The MPE Lab Party was hosted by Jonathan A. Nowak, MD, PhD, and we together celebrated a number of accomplishments!

(January 26, 2017) Our study showing the association of prudent diets with a lower risk of colorectal cancer subtype with PCR-detectable Fusobacterium nucleatum appeared in JAMA Oncology online. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28125762
www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-01/dci-stc012417.php
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315465.php
www.upi.com/Health_News/2017/01/26/Gut-bacteria-may-link-diet-colon-cancer-study-says/7081485456434/

(January 1, 2017) Charles S. Fuchs, MD, MPH, who had been supporting the MPE Lab for many years, became the Director of Yale Cancer Center, Physician-in-Chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven, and Professor at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Charlie Fuchs continues to closely collaborate with the Ogino MPE Lab.

(December 1, 2016) Reiko Nishihara got promoted to Assistant Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  Dr. Nishihara also became Co-Principal Investigator of the Molecular Pathological Epidemiology (MPE) Laboratory.

(August 31, 2016) We moved to SM1038, SM1040, SM1042, SM1044, and SM1046 (all wet lab areas) and the new office area SM1036 in Smith Building of DFCI.

(May 16, 2016) My project “Transdisciplinary Approach to Colorectal Cancer Immunity, Molecular Pathology, and Clinical Outcome” with Gordon Freeman and Tyler VanderWeele has been selected for DFHCC Nodal Award funding (2016-2018).

(March 11, 2016) NCI has made a decision to fund R13 CA203287 (PI, S Ogino) entitled “The Third International Molecular Pathological Epidemiology (MPE) Meeting” which will be held on May 12-13, 2016.

(March 5, 2016) Division of MPE Molecular Pathological Epidemiology in Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital opens with Shuji Ogino as the first Division Chief.

(Aug 10, 2015) NCI R35 (Outstanding Investigator Award) has started.

(May 9, 2015) Proceedings of The Second International Molecular Pathological Epidemiology (MPE) Meeting (S Ogino et al.) has been published online in Cancer Causes and Control.

Congratulations for Xuehong Zhang (Instructor in Medicine; Associate MPE Lab Member) whose K07 funding started!

 

Past Press Releases on our MPE studies (selected)

Possible effect of vitamin D on immune cell infiltrate in colorectal cancer:

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-01-vitamin-d-colorectal-cancer-boosting.html

 

Aspirin on risk of colorectal cancer according to BRAF mutation status:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262544.php

 

Colonoscopy is effective for colorectal cancer prevention, but less effective to prevent MSI-high or CIMP-high subtype:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/regular-colonoscopies-may-cut-colorectal-cancer-risk-by-40-percent/

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/colonoscopy-screening-every-ten-years-could-prevent-40-of-colorectal-cancers/

 

PIK3CA mutation in colorectal cancer may be a predictive biomarker for response to aspirin:

http://www.cancernetwork.com/colorectal-cancer/aspirin-may-improve-survival-pik3ca-mutated-colorectal-cancers

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/10/aspirins-impact-on-colorectal-cancer/

 

Obesity may be a risk factor for CTNNB1-negative subtype of colorectal cancer, which may be preventable by exercise:

http://www.everydayhealth.com/colon-cancer/obesity-and-lack-of-exercise-may-raise-risk-for-colorectal-cancer-2457.aspx