Thomas Jackson, PhD, CRI-Irvington Postdoctoral Fellow Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Area of Research: All Cancers Dr. Thomas Jackson is developing an innovative approach to enhance cancer immunotherapy by focusing on the mitochondria within cancer cells. In traditional cancer treatments, the focus has primarily been on the direct elimination of cancer cells through surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Immunotherapies on the other hand, leverage the inherent capabilities of our immune system to identify and eradicate cancer cells. Despite notable improvements in patient outcomes, immunotherapy displays variable effectiveness across patients and cancer types. Dr. Jackson is studying the details of how immune cells detect cancer cells. He proposes that by disrupting the mitochondria’s function he can increase the visibility of cancer cells to the immune system, thus facilitating more effective elimination. This novel approach introduces a paradigm shift in immunotherapy and holds the potential to complement existing methods in the fight against cancer. Projects and Grants Inducing mitochondrial protein mislocalisation to enhance anti-tumor immunity
