Physician-scientist, thoracic oncologist (radiation). DNA repair, novel therapeutics, resistance mechanisms. @pmcancercentre @RadMedPM @PMResearch_UHN @UofTDRO
Joined November 2008
- Tweets 210
- Following 389
- Followers 699
- Likes 1,615
53 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
18 Jun 2019
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
1
21
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
22 Oct 2025
Researchers at @PMResearch_UHN have identified a potential new target to enhance radiation therapy for #SmallCellLungCancer.
Blocking HDAC3 protein function makes cancer cells more sensitive to radiation.
🔗 Read more: uhnresearch.ca/news/increasi…
A team led by Dr. @BenLok @UHN has found a new target to enhance radiation therapy in small cell lung cancer. By removing the function of gene HDAC3, cancer cells became more sensitive to radiation and tumour growth was inhibited:
uhnresearch.ca/news/increasi…;
aacrjournals.org/mct/article…
1
1
9
504
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
A team led by Dr. @BenLok @UHN has found a new target to enhance radiation therapy in small cell lung cancer. By removing the function of gene HDAC3, cancer cells became more sensitive to radiation and tumour growth was inhibited:
uhnresearch.ca/news/increasi…;
aacrjournals.org/mct/article…
5
13
1,209
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
🧬 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.2025.1…
1
4
184
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
🔬 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/s41467-0…
1
4
10
705
4 Mar 2025
Our latest lab paper is here!
"PARP inhibitor radiosensitization enhances anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy through stabilizing chemokine mRNA in small cell lung cancer"
nature.com/articles/s41467-0…
rdcu.be/ecaJ4
@NatureComms
1/3
3
7
31
2,020
4 Mar 2025
How do immunogenic radiosensitizers work?
Unexpectedly, we found they also decrease a mRNA degrader, EIF4E2, ultimately contributing to increased T cell attractant chemokines and immunotherapy efficacy in preclinical models.
2/3
1
1
3
346
4 Mar 2025
Thanks @hansenhe7 @NSonenberg for their expertise and generous collaboration, and support by @ConquerCancerFd , @IASLC , @tfri_research among other funders!
And congratulations to 1st author Xiaozhuo Ran, co-authors, and lab!
@UofTDRO @RadMedPM @PMResearch_UHN @UHN
3/3
1
2
8
635
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
1 Oct 2024
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
1
3
13
1,321
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
1 Oct 2024
#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
10
13
2,896
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
1 Oct 2024
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
3
15
1,308
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
30 Sep 2024
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
9
17
4,003
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
30 Sep 2024
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
3
5
632
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
29 Sep 2024
We’re here on the first day of #ASTRO24, bringing you educational content from our journal! Follow & spread the word!
6
12
1,172
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
28 Sep 2024
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
13
27
7,726
1 Jun 2024
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
5
18
937
1 Jun 2024
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
2
8
32
2,917
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
12 Apr 2024
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
41
101
19,342
Benjamin Lok, MD retweeted
10 Apr 2024
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
1
3
26
3,596
9 Apr 2024
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! 🙏
9 Apr 2024
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
6
2
33
1,729
20 Mar 2024
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. 🙏
20 Mar 2024
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/backgroun…
3
6
28
2,178