Benjamin Lok, MD
@BenLok
Physician-scientist, thoracic oncologist (radiation). DNA repair, novel therapeutics, resistance mechanisms. @pmcancercentre @RadMedPM @PMResearch_UHN @UofTDRO
1. Rebooting twitter (last tweet 7yrs ago!) for lab, now an apt time for intro #threads on Lok lab's bckgrnd. Mission is to improve the outcomes of lung cancer patients by developing novel therapeutic strategies(esp. related to DNA repair) + understanding resistance mechanisms

🧬 The team also found that PRMT inhibitor could improve SCLC treatment outcomes from an epigenetic point of view: A PRMT inhibitor (MS023) disrupts splicing, increases DNA damage & shows strong synergy with chemo & radiation. Published in Neoplasia: doi.org/10.1016/j.neo.…
🔬 New strategy to boost immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer (SCLC): Combining PARP inhibitors + radiotherapy activates immune pathways & boosts T cell-attracting chemokines, discovered by @BenLok’s team at @UHN @pmcancercentre. Read in @NatureComms: nature.com/articles/s4146…
Is PARPi safe with consolidative RT in ES-SCLC? 🔊Seems so Ph1 presented by @BenLok at #ASTRO24 of Talazoparib concurrent with RT. 👉MTD of talazoparib with RT is 1 mg 👉5% Grade 3 and 55% Grade 1-2 oesophagitis 👉No new safety signals ⏭️Future combos with IO and BiTEs
#ASTRO24 Terrific early morning #lungcancer session🫁‼️ @BenLok reporting on tolerability of PARPi with IMRT as consolidation in patients with ES-SCLC🙏 Important to restrict esophagitis‼️ Excellent basis for future development of PARPi in this space👍 #LCSM
Pleasure to run into @BenLok at #ASTRO24 👍 @Advances_ASTRO & @IJROBP #RadBio Section editors committed to promoting robust & translational radiation biology research 😊😊 📢And we welcome your submissions🙏🙏 @sueyom @RachelJimenezMD
Keep your 👀's on @Advances_ASTRO Editorial Board and give us a follow because there is more content headed your way! #ASTRO24 @khintenlang @JillRemickMD @BenLok @mirandalammd @stevebraunstein @mknoll_md @ACurreyMD @JingZeng98195 @KrishanJethwa @RachelJimenezMD
Connect with Editor-in-Chief, @RachelJimenezMD at the ASTRO Meter Board, happening now at the ASTRO Resource Center! Learn more about the future of the journal and how to get involved! #ASTRO24 @BenLok @KrishanJethwa @stevebraunstein @HenningWillers
We’re here on the first day of #ASTRO24, bringing you educational content from our journal! Follow & spread the word!
Welcome to Advances in Radiation Oncology's X account! Follow us here to read about the latest advances in our field and to learn about innovative scholarship emerging from our specialty! #ASTRO24
Congratulations to @lillian_siu for being this year's @ASCO David Karnofsky Memorial Award #ASCO24 recipient 🏆+ delivering an inspiring award lecture!🎇🎆 @pmcancercentre @PMResearch_UHN @UHN @akeithstewart




Congratulations to @MeredithGiulia1 on being inducted as a Fellow of @ASCO - a big honor 🏆🏆🏆 All of us at @RadMedPM @UofTDRO @pmcancercentre @PMResearch_UHN @UHN are very proud of you 🎉🎊🎉 @DKirschMDPhD @ldawsonmd @akeithstewart #ASCO24




No SUNSET on this ultracentral trial of 60 Gy in 8 fractions <7% grade 3-5 AEs, ~90% local control Online at: redjournal.org/article/S0360-… @MeredithGiulia1 @BenLok @DrAlexLouie @HoudaBahig @DrBezjakRO @ScottBratman @drdavidpalma
This week marks 1 year since we initiated NET tissue biobanking. Today, we received tissue samples from the 40th patient. We want to take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude to all the patients who have generously donated samples. @HalletJulie @CureNETs @tfri_research
Proud to be a part of this cohort and to be promoted at @UofTDRO - congrats to my fellow colleagues!🎉🎉🎉 @CathCoolens @jenncroke @alexandrarink2 @daniellerodin #TeodorStanescu @dr_vesi and thanks to mentors, colleagues, and my family for all their support+encouragement! 🙏
We are delighted to announce the successful promotion of seven faculty in UTDRO for the current academic cycle! Join us in congratulating them on their well-deserved achievements! @CathCoolens @jenncroke @BenLok @alexandrarink2 @daniellerodin #TeodorStanescu @dr_vesi @ldawsonmd
Thanks to @ONgov for support of our research on how to more effectively treat small cell lung cancer - this funding will propel our work on behalf of Ontarians and beyond. 🙏
Congratulations to @PMResearch_UHN's Dr. Benjamin Lok (@BenLok) on receiving the Early Career Investigator Award from @ONgov! Dr. Lok receives funding for his innovative work on small cell lung cancer exploring novel immunotherapeutic strategies. > news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounde…
Featured below, #RMPatPM's Dr. Benjamin Lok @BenLok and team investigate novel radiosensitizers to improve treatment response to #radiotherapy for patients with small cell #lungcancer
Improving the anti-cancer effects of radiation therapy Research from @BenLok’s lab found that targeting ATM, a gene that can detect DNA damage, can enhance the effect of radiation treatment in small cell lung cancer. > doi.org/10.1016/j.ijro…