2012 Free to Breathe Young Investigator Research Grant
Don Nguyen, PhD
Yale School of Medicine and Yale Cancer Center
Research Project:
Identifying metastasis-propagating cells and their niche in lung adenocarcinoma progression
Summary:
Some adenocarcinoma patients treated with chemotherapy temporarily experience a decrease in their tumors, or no additional growth. But usually, even after a good response, lung tumors eventually start growing again and spread to other vital organs. This process, termed cancer metastasis, is the major cause of death in lung cancer patients. Some researchers believe this is due to the spread of cancer “stem cells” that are resistant to treatment. Dr. Nguyen’s research aims to identify the molecules marking these cancer stem cells so that they can be easily identified. Once identified, monitoring these cells can help determine the timing of cancer progression, potentially leading to cheaper, safer, and more accurate ways to assess the effectiveness of how a therapy is working for an individual patient over time.