Dr. Lowe’s team demonstrated that CAR T cells, originally developed to fight cancer, can be engineered to target senescent cells: damaged cells that accumulate with age, fuel chronic inflammation, and contribute to tissue dysfunction. By programming CAR T cells to recognize and eliminate these cells, the team improved metabolic function, reduced inflammation, and enhanced physical endurance in mouse models.

Published in Nature Aging, this research opened new possibilities for treating aging-related conditions such as liver fibrosis, atherosclerosis, and metabolic syndrome. More recently, the work has advanced to include cancer, where senescent cells can influence tumor progression, treatment response, and the inflammatory environment surrounding tumors. Together, these discoveries show how cancer immunotherapy technology can be redirected to tackle a broader set of diseases while also creating new opportunities to improve cancer treatment itself.

With Geoffrey Beene support, Dr. Berger developed MSK-IMPACT, a pioneering tumor-profiling test designed to identify clinically significant cancer mutations. Originally launched with 341 genes and now expanded to 505 genes, MSK-IMPACT has become a cornerstone of precision oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering.

Implemented in MSK’s clinical molecular diagnostics laboratory, MSK-IMPACT received approval from the New York State Department of Health and became the first tumor-profiling test—academic or commercial—to receive FDA authorization for clinical use.

Results: More than 100,000 MSK patients have had their tumors sequenced using MSK-IMPACT. The platform has informed treatment decisions, enabled identification of patients eligible for genomically matched clinical trials, and generated an unparalleled research resource. MSK investigators have published more than 1,200 scientific papers featuring MSK-IMPACT data, advancing cancer discovery and precision medicine worldwide.

Dr. Abdel-Wahab’s team conducted clinical trials showing that patients with hairy cell leukemia and histiocytosis, rare blood cancers driven by BRAF mutations, responded exceptionally well to the drug vemurafenib. The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has led to FDA approval of the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib for patients with BRAF V600-mutant histiocytic neoplasms.

The team also discovered that histiocytosis patients without BRAF mutations have other targetable alterations, opening treatment pathways for 100% of patients with these diseases. This culminated in FDA approval of the MEK inhibitor cobimetinib for adults with histiocytic neoplasms regardless of driver mutation.

Dr. Chen’s laboratory developed a revolutionary method to grow prostate cancer cells from patient biopsies as 3D “organoids” that accurately mirror tumor behavior. Over two years, the lab established ~15 organoid lines, each harboring different mutations that represent the genetic diversity found across prostate cancer patients.

These living models are now being used to predict how individual patients will respond to specific drugs or drug combinations—accelerating the delivery of personalized treatments.

Dr. Kantor has led the development of the Optimal Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Dosing (OBCD) Study, a multi-site cohort of over 34,000 patients with breast cancer. This cohort leverages rich treatment data from electronic health records to understand how chemotherapy dosing relates to patient outcomes, particularly in patients with obesity. Findings from this real-world study hope to complement existing evidence gaps to better inform dosing in real-world populations and improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Levine’s team performed comprehensive mutational profiling of the largest US cohort of AML patients, identifying specific genetic alterations that predict cure or relapse after chemotherapy. They developed a prognostic algorithm now used in clinical practice to guide treatment decisions.

This work allows oncologists to identify which AML patients benefit from dose-intensified chemotherapy and which should be spared more toxic treatments—personalizing care based on genetics.