Avoiding, Treating & Curing Cancer | Dr. Alex Marson
Andrew Huberman
Mar 9, 2026
Episode description
Dr. Alex Marson, MD, PhD, is a Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes and a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. We discuss the biology of the immune system and cancer, and everyday choices that can increase or decrease your cancer risk, several of which are surprising but all of which are actionable. We also discuss immunotherapy, including how engineered T-cells can be used to defeat childhood and adult cancers. Dr. Marson explains CRISPR and gene editing to cure diseases, and we address the ethical questions surrounding gene editing in embryos, children and adults. This discussion is for anyone interested in avoiding cancer and/or seeking to understand the science and practical applications of immune- or gene-therapy.
Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/oBv3wjv
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Dr. Alex Marson
Lab website: https://www.marsonlab.org
Gladstone Institute: https://gladstone.org/people/alex-marson
USCF profile: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/alexander.marson
Publications: https://gladstone.org/people/alex-marson#publications
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/marsonlab.bsky.social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-marson-65483a5
Timestamps
00:00:00 Alex Marson
00:02:21 Diseases & Current Biological Landscape; AI & Computational Tools
00:05:56 Immune System, Innate vs Adaptive Immune System
00:10:55 Thymus, T Cell Selection; B Cells & Antibodies
00:13:23 Sponsors: BetterHelp & Helix Sleep
00:16:11 Immune System Health, Sleep, Diet; Genes
00:20:56 Childhood Exposure & Allergy Prevention; Autoimmune Reactions
00:25:27 Whole Body Immune Response, Cytokines & Fever; Antibiotics
00:30:51 Cancer; Mutations & Cell Regulation; Smoking, BRCA Mutations, Sunlight
00:38:27 BRAC Mutations, Mutagens, Pesticides
00:42:33 Sponsor: AG1
00:43:57 X-Rays & Airport Scanners, Carcinogen vs Mutagen, Charred Meat, Food Dye
00:49:34 Immune-Based Cancer Treatment, Checkpoint Inhibitors, CAR T-Cell Therapy
00:59:04 CRISPR, Immunotherapies
01:02:52 Age & Cancer Risk; CAR T-Cells, Targets & Side Effects; Ketogenic Diet
01:08:27 CRISPR Discovery & Mechanism
01:17:06 CRISPR Precision, Risk & Benefit; CRISPR Technology Evolution
01:20:57 Sponsor: LMNT
01:22:17 CRISPR Cell Delivery, Clinical Trials; Treating Early Cancers & Prevention
01:33:47 Liposomes, Engineered Viruses, Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs), Vaccines
01:39:57 COVID Pandemic & Trust in Science, mRNA Vaccine
01:47:51 Sponsor: Function
01:49:39 Drug Delivery to Cancer, Immunotoxins, T-Cell Engagers; AI Protein Targets
01:55:45 CRISPR Embryo Modification, Ethics; Heritable Gene Editing, Diversity
02:05:42 Deep Sequencing Embryos, Diversity; Overcoming Adversity & Resilience
02:10:44 Upcoming Therapeutics, Autoimmunity & CAR T-Cells, CRISPR & Gene Function
02:17:55 Banking T Cells or iPSCs?, Future of Cell Programming
02:24:41 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter
#HubermanLab #Science #Health
Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer
Mindsip insights from this episode:
Establish boundaries against genetic editing in embryos
A leading researcher's stance is that we should draw a line in the sand and not introduce genetic edits into embryos that can be passed on to the next generation.
Minimize radiation exposure by avoiding airport body scanners
Despite a lack of hard data, Dr. Marson personally avoids airport body scanners to minimize radiation exposure, operating on the principle that less is better.
Avoid misconceptions about immunity and bacterial infections
Allowing your immune system to fight off a bacterial infection without antibiotics does not make your immune system more robust across your lifespan.
Prepare T-cells for future viral threats
Your T-cells randomly generate unique DNA receptors so that you have cells lying in wait for viruses or bacteria that may not even exist yet in nature.
Reevaluate allergy treatments for high-fat diet effects
In mice on a high-fat diet, an allergic skin reaction was qualitatively different, and standard allergy drugs not only failed to help but in some cases made it worse.
Utilize CRISPR as a bacterial immune defense against viruses
The revolutionary gene-editing tool CRISPR was discovered by scientists studying a strange set of DNA sequences that turned out to be a bacterial immune system against viruses.
Program cell behavior to revolutionize medicine
Biologists are more excited than the public knows because we can now program the behavior of cells in a way that's a step function in what's achievable in medicine.
Target protein in CAR T-cell therapy to balance cancer and healthy cells
The first successful CAR T-cell therapies worked because they targeted a protein found on both cancer cells and healthy B-cells, and it turns out the body can tolerate losing those healthy B-cells.
Revolutionize cancer treatment through immunology insights
As recently as 2010, the dogma in medical school was to not waste time on cancer immunology, a field now considered revolutionary for cancer treatment.
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