Mark Leick, MD

Massachusetts General Hospital

Academic Titles

Assistant Professor, Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Research Program Affiliation

Member, Leukemia

Member, Kidney Cancer

Research Abstract

Redirecting the adaptive immune system, particularly through T cells engineered as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, has emerged as a groundbreaking clinical strategy for treating relapsed and refractory malignancies. This approach has shown dramatic responses and even cures in a significant subset of patients. However, most patients undergoing CAR-T cell therapy do not achieve long-lasting anti-tumor responses. The Leick laboratory is dedicated to understanding and overcoming the challenges associated with CAR-T cell therapy. We focus on integrating investigative knowledge of the mechanisms of response, resistance, and toxicity in CAR-T cell patients to design novel methods for enhancing the next generation of CAR-T cell therapies. Through a virtuous cycle of correlation, design, and testing in patients in the context of thoughtful clinical trials, the Leick Lab continually refines CAR-T cell therapies. By applying these findings, we aim to design CAR-T cells that not only extend and enhance patient responses but also minimize adverse effects.