Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. In 2020, an estimated 10,792 Texas died of lung cancer that is more than due to the next three leading cancer types: colon (4,278), breast (3,254), and prostate (2,165) combined (Texas Department of State). The two most commonly diagnosed types of lung malignancies are lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell cancer (LUSC) accounting for approximately 40% and 30% of all cases, respectively. However, unlike for lung adenocarcinoma, for which multiple targeted therapies are available, no targeted therapies are currently clinically available for LUSC. This has led to a tremendous disparity in the way in which patients with advanced lung cancer...

Read More

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. In 2020, an estimated 10,792 Texas died of lung cancer that is more than due to the next three leading cancer types: colon (4,278), breast (3,254), and prostate (2,165) combined (Texas Department of State). The two most commonly diagnosed types of lung malignancies are lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell cancer (LUSC) accounting for approximately 40% and 30% of all cases, respectively. However, unlike for lung adenocarcinoma, for which multiple targeted therapies are available, no targeted therapies are currently clinically available for LUSC. This has led to a tremendous disparity in the way in which patients with advanced lung cancers are currently treated. Patients with lung adenocarcinoma undergo routine genetic testing to identify alterations in their tumors that predict response to targeted therapies, which demonstrated superior efficacy compared with standard chemotherapy. Patients with LUSC ostensibly receive the same conventional chemotherapy today as they would have received a few decades ago.

The main risk factors for LUSC development are tobacco smoking and long-term exposure to chemical lung irritants like nitroarenes emitted during crude oil refining/fugitive releases and in diesel fuel exhausts. Therefore, people with some of the highest LUSC incidence rates include railroad and dock workers, miners, truck and forklift drivers, other heavy machinery operators, and our Military Veterans. Exposure to these carcinogens leads to the formation and accumulation of mutations. LUSC carries one of the highest rates of mutations and genomic alternations.

A major unmet need for LSCC treatment is the identification of new therapeutic targets, which requires elucidating the critical genes and signaling pathways driving this disease. Our proposed research plan addresses these priorities by identifying critical drivers of LUSC tumorigenesis and define specific therapeutic vulnerabilities.

Read Less