Welcome to the winter 2023 issue of Ludwig Link!
We hope you all had a happy holiday season and are ready, and refreshed, for the year ahead. If you’re looking for some extra inspiration, our roundup of research news from Ludwig labs should help. You’ll read in here about the creation and mechanistic analysis of a novel nanoparticle that triggers potent therapeutic immune responses in mouse models of multiple cancers and potentially powerful new uses of tumor aneuploidy as a marker for patient stratification. Another study reported here covers the identification of a single protein hyperexpressed by cancer cells across a broad range of malignancies that erects a multifaceted barrier to anti-tumor immune responses in mouse models—a discovery that has led to the launch of a new biotechnology company. There’s also a brief on an intriguing examination of how high doses of vitamin C kill cancer cells. Its findings suggest novel dietary and pharmacologic approaches to enhancing the efficacy of some cancer therapies. And all this is just a sample of the fascinating science in this issue.
Our Q&A is with our President and CEO Ed McDermott. We spoke with Ed about his formative experiences, how he was hired by the Ludwig Institute, how the organization evolved over the years and much more. We found the tidbits of Ludwig history he shared with us quite fascinating. We’re betting you will too.
As always, we also have news of awards and honors won by Ludwig researchers and of two new members appointed to the Board of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. In our Ask a scientist section, Ludwig researchers weigh in on which aspect of tumor metabolism they consider most promising for the discovery of targets for cancer therapy or immunotherapy.
Happy reading!
Sincerely,
Rachel Reinhardt
Senior Vice President for Communications