Bhardwaj Lab

Trading pipettes for axes! Lab bonding last week was a 10/10 vibe. Looking at the lineup, who do you think lowkey had the best aim?🎯

Huge congratulations to Michelle on officially finishing her MD-PhD. It’s been an incredible journey watching her balance the bench and the clinic with such dedication. We couldn’t be prouder of everything she’s accomplished. Cheers to Dr. Michelle!🥂 ##MDPhD #Graduation

Reprogramming T cell-myeloid crosstalk overcomes immune resistance in colorectal cancer: Cell Reports Medicine cell.com/cell-reports-m… @BhardwajLab @IcahnMountSinai

Huge congratulations to Michelle! So proud to see you graduate!

@TischCancer @SinaiImmunol #CancerResearch #Immunology #TumorImmunology

Guillaume’s latest paper went online yesterday @CellRepMed! This research shows that a quad-blockade overcomes immune resistance in colorectal cancer by reprogramming macrophage-T cell crosstalk to induce high rates of tumor clearance. Check it out here: cell.com/cell-reports-m…

Enjoy this little cartoon summarizing Guillaume's latest work in Cell Reports Medicine! cell.com/cell-reports-m…

mRNA vaccine immunity is enhanced by hepatocyte detargeting and not dependent on dendritic cell expression go.nature.com/4eSjV0N

We are thrilled to share our latest work uncovering how the SPP1+ macrophage-driven inflammatory axis fuels immune evasion in bladder cancer. Fantastic job by Michelle and all our collaborators! 👏

A year after NIH funding cuts, 27% of researchers report their funding hasn’t been restored. This is not just budgets; it is the future of science, and the impact is already being felt, as @cassiemcgrath_ reports in @HealthcareBrew. As PICI CEO @DrKarenKnudsen shared with Healthcare Brew, these funding cuts have a large impact on researchers and patients, and stall bold innovative science. PICI is working to keep progress moving by backing high-risk, high-reward science and accelerating collaboration to turn all cancers into curable diseases. Read Cassie’s full piece here: healthcare-brew.com/stories/2026/0…

Nie, Liu, Song, and Yao et al. developed a spleen delivery platform of mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) covalently bound to erythrocytes (mRNA-LNP-Ery), which naturally target splenic CD11b+ myeloid cells. Unlike conventional LNPs, mRNA-LNP-Ery entered cells via phagocytosis, avoiding lysosomal degradation and efficiently delivering mRNA. CAR myeloid cells (HER2 or CD19) adopted a proinflammatory antigen-presenting phenotype, migrated to tumors, and stimulated T and NK cell influx, potent antitumor activity, and systemic immunity, which was spleen-dependent. Repeated doses of mRNA-LNP-Ery resulted in superior efficacy at 1/10 the dose of LNPs. bit.ly/4dKws67

Nature research paper: mRNA vaccines engage unconventional pathways in CD8+ T cell priming go.nature.com/3QbmxwB

⏳ 2 days left! Abstract submission for #DC2026 closes April 17 🌍 Join the global DC community in San Diego Submit your work now — don’t miss it! dc2026sandiego.com @MaxKrummel @ZunigaLab 🔁

Dr. Nina Bhardwaj will be at #AACR26! Looking forward to connecting, engaging, and discussing the latest in cancer immunology @AACR

New #JITC review: "Bright side of the dark genome: antigens for next-gen cancer vaccines" jitc.bmj.com/content/14/4/e… @BernardAFox

🚨Paper alert🚨 Very excited to share our manuscript, published today in @ImmunityCP, where we describe how ‘Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay inhibition reshapes the cancer immunopeptidome’. (1/16) cell.com/immunity/fullt…

Jonathan Anker, MD, PhD, highlights response-guided bladder preservation stra... youtu.be/SbvVZZGSPGc?si… via @YouTube #bladdercancer @IcahnMountSinai

Dendritic cells are innate immune cells that regulate the quality, magnitude, and duration of antitumor responses. Conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) are crucial in this capacity but are paradoxically rare and functionally impaired in most solid tumors. This is a major barrier to effective immunotherapy. The molecular underpinnings of cDC1 dysfunction within the tumor microenvironment are poorly understood. In a new Science study, researchers report that mitochondrial fitness is important for cDC1 function. They also demonstrate the therapeutic rescue of cDC1 function within the tumor microenvironment in mice, which provides a framework for metabolically reprogramming dendritic cells to restore antitumor immunity. Learn more in a new #SciencePerspective: scim.ag/4c3CX1b

A rare carnivorous caterpillar stalks spiderwebs for food whilst dressed in the remains of its prey, a 2025 Science study reported. This species, dubbed the “bone collector,” is found only on a single mountainside on the Hawai’ian island of Oa’hu. Learn more: scim.ag/4sba7lN #ScienceMagArchives

The biology of IL-15 is fascinating.... exercise stimulates #cancer killing CD8 T cells via production of IL-15 by various cells including muscle cells. #anktiva $ibrx link.springer.com/article/10.100…