Schrank Laboratory
Benjamin Schrank, M.D., Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Areas of Research
- DNA Repair
- Drug Development
- Genome Stability
- Immunology
- Immunotherapy
- Nanomedicine
- Nanotechnology
- Targeted Therapy
- Tumor Microenvironment
Welcome to the Schrank Laboratory! The primary research focus of the Schrank Lab is to enhance the immune system¡¯s ability to detect and eliminate tumors that resist traditional immunotherapies. Our lab achieves this goal by targeting genome instability and applying principles of bioengineering to design therapies that overcome innate immune evasion and drug resistance.
Our research
We are particularly interested in how aberrant DNA structures and processes, including extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) and chromothripsis, reshape the tumor microenvironment and disrupt immune sensing pathways in macrophages and dendritic cells. To counter these effects, we engineer antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and mRNA-loaded extracellular vesicles (EVs) that drive innate and adaptive antitumor immunity and long-term immune surveillance.
To link genomic architecture to immune behavior, our research integrates and leverages:
- DNA repair biology
- Tumor immunology
- Therapeutic engineering
- Genomics
- Live-cell imaging
- Single-cell profiling
Schrank BR et al. . Nature Cancer. 2025 Feb 25; 6(3):511-527. PMID: 40000910 PMCID: PMC11952976.
Lee D et al. . Nature Biomedical Engineering. 2024 Apr 19; 8(5):593-610. PMID: 38641710 PMCID: PMC11162332.
Schrank BR et al. . Nature. 2018 Jun 20; 559(7712):61-66. PMID: 29925947 PMCID: PMC6145447.
Contact Us
Principal Investigator
Email: BRSchrank@MDAnderson.org
Address
MD Anderson Cancer Center
CNS ¨C Radiation Oncology Clinical
Zayed Building (Z7.2040)
6565 MD Anderson Blvd.
Houston, TX 77030