Mikael Pittet, PhD, MGH Research Scholar Profile

Research in the Pittet lab seeks to understand how the immune system responds to tumor progression, and to identify new treatment targets.

Manipulating Cancer-Host Cell Interactions

The Pittet Laboratory is investigating the host-immune response with the goal of finding innovative new ways to combat cancer. We use various techniques, including in vivo imaging, to study where, when and how immune cells are produced, move to different areas of the body, and mediate or direct a response against infectious diseases and foreign antibodies, such as tumor cells.

Studies in the Pittet Lab make use of both genetic mouse models, which allow manipulations and analyses of mechanisms and causality, and tissue samples from cancer patients to ensure that the results from the laboratory can be replicated in the clinic.

This two-pronged approach provides opportunities to learn more about how the immune system responds to tumor progression, and to identify new treatment targets.