Pittet Lab

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Phone: 617-643-6285

My laboratory performs a research program on the host immune response in vivo with the main goal to offer valuable new ways to combat cancer. We use various modalities, including in vivo imaging, to study where, when and how immune cells are produced, traffic, and mediate regulatory or effector functions. The studies make use of both genetic mouse models, which allow manipulations and analyses of mechanisms and causality, and human patient material, to ensure that the results are anchored in clinical correlates. This dual approach gives opportunities for discovery of novel contributions of the immune response to tumor progression, new biomarkers useful for diagnosis and prognosis, and novel targets for therapeutic intervention. Dr. Pittet directs Cancer Immunology Program at CSB and collaborates with several immunology programs at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In vivo imaging of immune cells at different scales. Imaging modalities include single photon emission computed tomography – X-ray computed tomography (SPECT-CT), fluorescence mediated tomography (FMT), microscopic fiber optics, and intravital multiphoton microscopy (IVM).

Recent Publications

  • Pittet MJ, Di Pilato M, Garris C, Mempel TR Dendritic cells as shepherds of T cell immunity in cancer. Immunity. 2023;:ePub - PMID: 37708889 - DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.08.014

  • Bill R, Wirapati P, Messemaker M, Roh W, Zitti B, Duval F, Kiss M, Park JC, Saal TM, Hoelzl J, Tarussio D, Benedetti F, Tissot S, Kandalaft L, Varrone M, Ciriello G, McKee TA, Monnier Y, Mermod M, Blaum EM, Gushterova I, Gonye ALK, Hacohen N, Getz G, Mempel TR, Klein AM, Weissleder R, Faquin WC, Sadow PM, Lin D, Pai SI, Sade-Feldman M, Pittet MJ CXCL9:SPP1 macrophage polarity identifies a network of cellular programs that control human cancers. Science. 2023;381(6657):515-524 - PMID: 37535729 - DOI: 10.1126/science.ade2292

  • Gungabeesoon J, Gort-Freitas NA, Kiss M, Bolli E, Messemaker M, Siwicki M, Hicham M, Bill R, Koch P, Cianciaruso C, Duval F, Pfirschke C, Mazzola M, Peters S, Homicsko K, Garris C, Weissleder R, Klein AM, Pittet MJ A neutrophil response linked to tumor control in immunotherapy. Cell. 2023;186(7):1448-1464.e20 - PMID: 37001504 - PMCID: PMC10132778 - DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.02.032

  • Kim J, Oh J, Peterson HM, Carlson JCT, Pittet MJ, Weissleder R TNIK Inhibition Has Dual Synergistic Effects on Tumor and Associated Immune Cells. Adv Biol (Weinh). 2022;6(8):e2200030 - PMID: 35675910 - PMCID: PMC9398996 - DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200030

  • Ko J, Wilkovitsch M, Oh J, Kohler RH, Bolli E, Pittet MJ, Vinegoni C, Sykes DB, Mikula H, Weissleder R, Carlson JCT Spatiotemporal multiplexed immunofluorescence imaging of living cells and tissues with bioorthogonal cycling of fluorescent probes. Nat Biotechnol. 2022;40(11):1654-1662 - PMID: 35654978 - PMCID: PMC9669087 - DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01339-6

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Research projects

Tumor microenvironment

In vitro studies often do not reliably predict the behavior of cells in vivo. Therefore our goals are: (a) to study cellular players directly in situ by means of appropriate bioimaging technologies, (b) to quantify and model information obtained by bioimaging, (c) to develop approaches for comprehensive investigation of various cell types in defined microenvironments. In cancer, a number of immune and nonimmune cell types respond to tumor stimuli and exhibit complex regulatory or effector functions, for example through cell-cell contact and/or secretion of soluble factors. We use recent advances in in vivo imaging to yield new insights into the biology of host cells with the ultimate goal to quantify cellular responses in vivo. As detailed below, we have focused our efforts on the study of T cell responses (anti-tumor CTL and suppressor Treg cells) and monocyte responses (monocyte subsets with distinct inflammatory potential and their lineage descendants).

Adaptive immune cells


T cells are specialized to recognize cells infected with intracellular pathogens or transformed cells expressing tumor-associated antigens. Cytotoxic T cells (CTL) execute their effector functions during direct physical interactions with their targets, which include release of lytic granules and secretion of cytokines. In contrast other T cells such as T regulatory (Treg) cells mediate dominant suppressive functions and can prevent the activity of CTL and other effector cells. Our understanding of how immune functions are regulated and integrated in vivo at the cellular level is, to a large extent, still speculative. We are studying how Treg cells repress CTL responses in vivo, and whether Treg cell-mediated tolerance can be reversed in therapy.


Innate immune cells

Mononuclear phagocytes exert crucial functions as scavengers and can trigger or regulate immune responses. Recent studies indicate that monocytes - the precursors of macrophages and dendritic cells - comprise separate subsets that 'commit' to specific functions. The activity of these subsets in vivo is largely unknown. We are studying tissue tropism, cellular differentiation and role in immunity of monocyte subsets in various inflammatory conditions. We are also testing whether these cells are potential targets in therapy.

News

2019-12-20:

Mikael Pittet, PhD, has been promoted to Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School. Congratulations Mikael!

2019-04-18:

Congratulations to Jeremy Gungabeesoon (Pittet lab) for becoming a 2019 Landry Cancer Biology Fellow at Harvard University. This is a big honor!

2019-04-16:

"Discovering Myeloid Cells in Lung Tumors" - Our work from the Pittet lab and Klein lab is out! See also interview with the authors.

2018-12-26:

Five CSB PIs are on the list of Highly Cited Researchers of 2018. Congratulations to Brad Bernstein, Matthias Nahrendorf, Mikael Pittet, Fil Swirski, and Ralph Weissleder!

2018-12-11:

“A small population of immune cells is key for successful cancer immunotherapy” - Study by Garris et al. from the Pittet Lab. See also interview with the authors.

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