Pathology News

Pathology and a path to great clinical care

Friday, April 14, 2017  Mass General

In late 2014, after a routine annual physical, Cape Cod resident Barbara Porter was diagnosed with pancytopenia, a reduction of red and white blood cells and platelets.

Once again, named among America's best hospitals

Tuesday, August 2, 2016  Mass General

Massachusetts General Hospital is once again named among the top hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report and is the only hospital to be highly rated across all 16 specialties.

A week to honor medical laboratory professionals

Friday, April 15, 2016  Mass General

Medical laboratory professionals week – an annual celebration of laboratory professionals and pathologists who play a vital role in every aspect of health care – runs from April 24-30.

#1 in New England, #2 in the nation

Tuesday, July 15, 2014  Mass General

U.S. News & World Report ranks Massachusetts General Hospital among the top hospitals in America based on our quality of care, patient safety and reputation in 16 specialties.

#1 in New England, #2 in the nation

Tuesday, July 16, 2013  Mass General

U.S. News & World Report ranks Massachusetts General Hospital among the top hospitals in America based on our quality of care, patient safety and reputation in 16 specialties.

Getz, Raje honored with endowed chairs in oncology

Friday, May 24, 2013  Mass General

The MGH honored two staff members this month as inaugural recipients of endowed chairs in oncology, both made possible thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor.

In Memoriam: Robert E. Scully, MD

Friday, November 9, 2012  Mass General

Robert E. Scully, MD, a giant in the field of pathology and a beloved member of the MGH family for more than 55 years, died Oct. 30 at the age of 91

Major NIH grants support innovative research projects

Friday, September 28, 2012  Mass General

Two MGH-led research teams and one MGH investigator have received major grants from the National Institutes of Health.

2012 Research Scholars announced

Friday, May 25, 2012  Mass General

The second group of MGH Research Scholars – recipients of unrestricted five-year grants to support innovative investigations – was announced at the hospital’s Research Advisory Council (RAC) annual meeting on May 11.

Bicentennial Corner

Friday, December 2, 2011  Mass General

Many ‘keen minds’ have worked toward a better understanding of disease to enable improved diagnosis and treatment.

Joung, McClatchey and Zou Receive 2011 MGH Research Scholars Awards

Friday, May 6, 2011  Research

For the first year of the MGH Research Scholars Awards program, three of the five Scholars are members of MGH-HMS Pathology and the MGH Cancer Center.

Celebrating prize-winning MGH research

Friday, April 22, 2011  Mass General

The presentation of the MGH's top research prizes was a highlight of the April 13 Celebration of Science, held in conjunction with the annual Scientific Advisory Committee meeting.

Bicentennial Corner 1.28.11

Friday, January 28, 2011  Mass General

MGH Hotline 1.18.11 MGH pathologist Reginald Fitz, MD, studied the appendix and coined the word "appendicitis" in 1886.

In General: J.A. Jeevendra (Jeeva) Martyn, MD, and Jeannie T. Lee, MD, PhD

Friday, January 14, 2011  Mass General

MGH Hotline 01.14.11 In General awards and honors

In General: David Wilbur, MD, FACP, and Stephen Black-Schaffer, MD, FACP

Friday, October 15, 2010  Mass General

MGH Hotline 10.15.10 In General awards and honors

Joung receives prestigious NIH Pioneer Award

Friday, September 3, 2010  Mass General

MGH Hotline 09.03.10 J. Keith Joung, MD, PhD, of MGH Pathology, the MGH Center for Cancer Research and the Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, is one of 17 investigators nationwide to receive a 2010 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's Pioneer Award.

Bernstein and Hochedlinger among 50 HHMI Early Career Scientists

Friday, May 15, 2009  Research

MGH Hotline 5.15.09 Two MGH scientists — Bradley Bernstein, MD, PhD, of the Department of Pathology, and Konrad Hochedlinger, PhD, of the Center for Regenerative Medicine – are among the first group of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Early Career Scientists.

Specific CD8 T cell states may indicate response to immune checkpoint therapy for melanoma - 11/1/2018, Research

A multi-institutional research team, led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, has identified specific states of cytotoxic CD8 T cells that are associated with patient response to checkpoint immunotherapy for melanoma.

Mass. General team finds how NF-2 gene mutations make cells hyper-responsive to growth factor signaling - 8/28/2018, Research

A team of Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center researchers has determined one way that mutations in a gene involved in a rare, hereditary cancer syndrome lead to out-of-control cellular proliferation.

MGH team defines the mechanisms of action of key genetic abnormality in Ewing sarcoma - 8/2/2018, Research

A Massachusetts General Hospital research team has used epigenome editing tools to investigate how the genetic abnormality that drives Ewing sarcoma – the second most common bone cancer in children and young adults – unleashes tumor growth.

Metabolic profiling may determine aggressiveness, prognosis of prostate cancer - 3/26/2018, Research

A new approach to analyzing prostate gland tissue developed by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers may help address a major challenge in treating prostate cancer – determining which tumors are unlikely to progress and which could be life threatening and require treatment.

Invasive cells in head and neck tumors predict cancer spread - 11/30/2017, Research

Head and neck tumors that contain cells undergoing a partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition — which transforms them from neatly organized blocks into irregular structures that extrude into the surrounding environment — are more likely to invade and spread to other parts of the body, according to a new study led by researchers from Mass. Eye and Ear, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Protein identified that drives initiation and growth of aggressive form of leukemia - 10/3/2017, Research

A team led by Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has identified a new cancer-causing pathway behind most cases of an aggressive type of leukemia, findings that could lead to new targeted treatment approaches.

"Safe Genes" award to Mass. General team aims to improve precision, safety of gene-editing technologies - 7/25/2017, Research

A Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-based research team is one of seven nationwide receiving contracts under the DARPA Safe Genes program, which is designed to improve the safety of gene drives.

Mass. General/Broad Institute study charts single-cell composition of two major types of brain tumor - 3/30/2017, Research

Detailed analysis of two brain tumor subtypes has revealed that they may originate from the same type of neural progenitor cells and be distinguished by gene mutation patterns and by the composition of their microenvironments.

Broadly adopted blood transfusion practice may not benefit patients without traumatic injury - 3/8/2017, Research

A study from investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital finds that a blood transfusion practice previously studied only in patients with severe traumatic injuries has been widely adopted within the hospital for surgical patients without traumatic injuries, for whom it may not be beneficial.

Molecular "on switch" could point to treatments for pediatric brain tumor - 2/24/2017, Research

Massachusetts General Hospital researchers have identified a mechanism that controls the expression of genes regulating the growth of the most aggressive form of medulloblastoma, the most common pediatric brain tumor.

Single-cell analysis supports a role for cancer stem cells in brain tumor growth - 11/2/2016, Research

– A study analyzing brain tumor genomics on a single-cell level has found evidence that cancer stem cells fuel the growth of oligodendrogliomas, a slow-growing but incurable form of brain cancer.

Combining two imaging technologies may better identify dangerous coronary plaques - 3/9/2016, Research

Combining optical coherence tomography with another advanced imaging technology may more accurately identify coronary artery plaques that are most likely to rupture and cause a heart attack.

How diet influences colon cancer - 3/2/2016, Research

Over the past decade, studies have found that obesity and eating a high-fat, high-calorie diet are significant risk factors for many types of cancer. Now, a new study reveals how a high-fat diet makes the cells of the intestinal lining more likely to become cancerous.

Foundation for the NIH to Award Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences to Dr. Jeannie Lee for Pioneering Work in Epigenetics - 2/16/2016, Research

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health has selected Jeannie T. Lee, M.D., Ph.D., as the 2016 winner of the Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences for uncovering the functions of long, noncoding RNA in epigenetic regulation.

High-fidelity CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases have no detectable off-target mutations - 1/6/2016, Research

A new engineered version of the gene-editing CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease appears to robustly abolish the unwanted, off-target DNA breaks that are a significant current limitation of the technology, reducing them to undetectable levels.

Genome misfolding unearthed as new path to cancer - 12/23/2015, Research

In a landmark study, researchers from the Broad Institute and MGH reveal a completely new biological mechanism that underlies cancer.

Mass. General team broadens utility of more compact CRISPR-Cas9 by increasing its targeting range - 11/2/2015, Research

A method developed by MGH investigators to improve the usefulness and precision of the most common form of the gene-editing tools CRISPR-Cas9 RNA-guided nucleases can be applied to Cas9 enzymes from other bacterial sources, allowing targeting of genomic sites previously inaccessible to CRISPR-Cas9 technology.

Mass. General investigator Bradley Bernstein, MD, PhD, a recipient of Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research - 9/29/2015, Mass General

Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Pathology and Cancer Center investigator Bradley Bernstein, MD, PhD, is one of three recipients of the 2015 Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research, given by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Bernstein is being honored for his investigations into how the structural organization or ‘packaging’ of our DNA within cells influences the functions of our genes.

Researchers develop strategy for determining how non-coding gene sequences contribute to disease risk - 9/23/2015, Research

A paper receiving advance online release in Nature Medicine describes a strategy for meeting one of today’s most significant challenges in genomic medicine – determining whether a specific DNA variant in the non-protein-coding genome is the actual disease-causing variant of an associated disease risk.

Mass. General research team evolves CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases with novel properties - 6/22/2015, Research

A team of Massachusetts General Hospital MGH researchers has found a way to expand the use and precision of the powerful gene-editing tools called CRISPR-Cas9 RNA-guided nucleases.

Decreased red blood cell clearance appears to predict development and worsening of serious diseases - 4/20/2015, Research

MGH investigators have found the probable mechanism underlying a previously described biomarker associated with the risk of developing serious diseases ranging from cancer to cardiovascular disease and the risk of serious complications.

Study identifies new targeted treatment strategy for some aggressive cancers - 1/15/2015, Research

Researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified the first potential treatment targeting a pathway by which several aggressive tumors maintain their ability to proliferate.

New method identifies genome-wide off-target cleavage sites of CRISPR-Cas nucleases - 12/16/2014, Research

Massachusetts General Hospital investigators have developed a method of detecting, across the entire genome of human cells, unwanted DNA breaks induced by use of the popular gene-editing tools called CRISPR-Cas RNA-guided nucleases.

Single genetic abnormality accelerates, removes the brakes on Ewing sarcoma tumor growth - 12/16/2014, Research

The genetic abnormality that drives the bone cancer Ewing sarcoma operates through two distinct processes – both activating genes that stimulate tumor growth and suppressing those that should keep cancer from developing.

MGH and MIT form strategic partnership to address major challenges in clinical medicine - 10/15/2014, Research

A novel partnership between Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology is addressing three major challenges in clinical medicine – improving the diagnosis of disease, developing new approaches to prevent and treat infectious and autoimmune diseases, and developing more accurate methods of diagnosing and treating major neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases.

New genome-editing platform significantly increases accuracy of CRISPR-based systems - 4/25/2014, Research

A next-generation genome editing system developed by MGH investigators substantially decreases the risk of producing unwanted, off-target gene mutations.

Fast, simple-to-use assay reveals the ‘family tree’ of cancer metastases - 4/21/2014, Research

A simple assay developed by an MGH research team can reveal the evolutionary relationships among various tumor sites within a patient, information that may someday help with treatment planning.

Researchers identify transcription factors distinguishing glioblastoma stem cells - 4/10/2014, Research

The activity of four transcription factors appears to distinguish the small proportion of glioblastoma cells responsible for the aggressiveness and treatment resistance of the deadly brain tumor. The findings identify molecular circuits that may be targeted by new therapeutic approaches

Shortening guide RNA markedly improves specificity of CRISPR-Cas nucleases - 1/26/2014, Research

MGH investigators have found that adjusting the length of the the guide RNA component of the gene-editing tools called CRISPR-Cas RNA-guided nucleases can substantially reduce the occurrence of DNA mutations at off-target sites.

Gene-expression-based biomarker predicts long-term risk of breast cancer recurrence - 9/11/2013, Research

A comparison of three methods of predicting recurrence risk in women treated for estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer finds that only the breast cancer index – a biomarker based on the expression levels of seven tumor-specific genes – accurately identifies patients who continue to be at risk after five years of estrogen-blocking treatment.

Biomarker predicts risk of breast cancer recurrence after tamoxifen treatment - 6/28/2013, Research

A biomarker reflecting expression levels of two genes in tumor tissue may be able to predict which women treated for estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer should receive a second estrogen-blocking medication after completing tamoxifen treatment.

Powerful gene-editing tool appears to cause off-target mutations in human cells - 6/23/2013, Research

MGH researchers have found a significant limitation to the use of a new gene-editing tool called CRISPR-Cas RGNs, production of unwanted DNA mutations at sites other than the desired target. Their findings indicate the need to improve the precision of the technology.

Gene-expression signature may signify risk for recurrence, metastasis in prostate cancer - 4/15/2013, Research

A team led by MGH researchers has identified a genetic signature that may reflect the risk of tumor recurrence or spread in men surgically treated for prostate cancer. If confirmed, the genetic risk index also may help distinguish tumors that require aggressive treatment from those that can safely be monitored.

Pill-sized device provides rapid, detailed imaging of esophageal lining - 1/13/2013, Research

Researchers at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital have developed an imaging system enclosed in a capsule about the size of a multivitamin pill that creates detailed, microscopic images of the esophageal wall.

Massachusetts General Hospital Ranked #1 in the Nation on U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll - 7/17/2012, Mass General

Massachusetts General Hospital has moved into the number one spot on the 2012-13 U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” list.

All cancer cells are not created equal - 5/15/2012, Research

A study from Massachusetts General Hospital researchers suggests that specific populations of tumor cells have different roles in the process by which tumors make new copies of themselves and grow.

Rapid method of assembling new gene-editing tool could revolutionize genetic research - 4/9/2012, Research

Development of a new way to make a powerful tool for altering gene sequences should greatly increase the ability of researchers to knock out or otherwise alter the expression of any gene they are studying.

Mass. General study defines a new genetic subtype of lung cancer - 1/31/2012, Research

MGH Cancer Center investigators have defined the role of a recently identified gene abnormality – rearrangements in the ROS1 gene – in non-small-cell lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. They also show that these tumors can be treated with crizotinib and describe the remarkable response of one patient to such treatment.

Novel gene mutations associated with bile duct cancer - 1/18/2012, Research

Investigators at the MGH Cancer Center have identified a new genetic signature associated with bile duct cancer, a usually deadly tumor for which effective treatment currently is limited.

Mass. General study finds amplification of multiple cell-growth genes in some brain tumors - 12/1/2011, Research

A small percentage of the deadly brain tumors called glioblastomas, which usually resist treatment with drugs targeting mutations in cell-growth genes, appears to contain extra copies of two or three of these genes at the same time. The surprising discovery has major implications for the understanding of tumor biology and for targeted cancer therapies.

Combined arterial imaging technology reveals both structural and metabolic details - 11/6/2011, Research

A new device that combines two microimaging technologies can reveal both the detailed anatomy of arterial linings and biological activities that, in coronary arteries, could indicate the risk of heart attacks or the formation of clots in arterial stents.

High-resolution imaging technology reveals cellular details of coronary arteries - 7/10/2011, Research

Researchers at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at MGH have developed a one-micrometer-resolution version of the intravascular imaging technology optical coherence tomography that can reveal cellular and subcellular features of coronary artery disease.

Epigenomic findings illuminate veiled variants - 3/23/2011, Research

Genes make up only a tiny percentage of the human genome, but the rest may hold vital clues about the genetic origins of disease. Using a new mapping strategy, a research team has begun to assign meaning to the regions beyond our genes and has revealed how minute changes in these regions might be connected to common diseases.

MGH researchers develop faster method of engineering zinc-finger nucleases - 12/12/2010, Research

A team led by MGH researchers has developed a faster way to engineer synthetic enzymes that target specific DNA sequences for inactivation, repair or alteration.

Mathematical model of the life cycle of red blood cells may predict risk of anemia - 11/12/2010, Research

An MGH physician-researcher and a Harvard University mathematician have collaborated to develop a mathematical model reflecting how red blood cells change during their four-month lifespan. The model uses data from routine blood tests and may be able to predict the development of anemia.

Merlin protein found to control liver stem cells, prevent tumor development - 8/12/2010, Research

A protein known to be involved in a rare hereditary cancer syndrome may have a role in the regulation of liver stem cells and the development of liver cancer.

Study finds epigenetic similarities between Wilms tumor cells and normal kidney stem cells - 6/3/2010, Research

A detailed analysis of the epigenetics – factors controlling when and where genes are expressed – of Wilms tumor reveals striking similarities to stem cells normally found in fetal kidneys. These findings by MGH Cancer Center researchers reveal new cellular pathways critical for Wilms tumor development that may apply to other pediatric cancers.

Biochemical profile may help diagnose, determine aggressiveness of prostate cancer - 1/27/2010, Research

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy – which analyzes the biochemistry rather than the structure of tissues – may someday be able both to pinpoint the precise location of prostate cancer and to determine the tumor's aggressiveness, information that could help guide treatment planning.

HHMI Gives 50 Early Career Scientists a Jump on Their Next Big Idea - 3/26/2009, Research

Two MGH investigators – Bradley E. Bernstein, MD, PhD, and Konrad Hochedlinger, PhD – are among 50 receipients of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Early Career Scientist Awards.