Previously Funded Research

Chad Pecot, MD

University of North Carolina

Research Project:

Targeting Lung Squamous Metastasis with CCR2 Inhibitors

Summary:

Although targeted therapies have been developed to treat specific mutations of adenocarcinoma of the lung, similar advances in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma have been lacking. Recently, studies of immunotherapies have produced promising results in squamous cell lung cancer. Dr. Pecot’s project is designed to explore the role of a novel approach to immunotherapy in the treatment of squamous cell lung cancer. The project aims to evaluate whether targeting inflammatory monocytes (a type of white blood cell) through the use of CCR2 [or chemokine (C‐C motif) receptor 2] inhibitors will blunt or stop metastasis in squamous cell lung cancer. CCR2 inhibitors work by stopping the recruitment of monocytes, which cancers can exploit to promote metastasis. This approach may be synergistic with PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors that help turn on the body’s defenses against cancer. The proposed research is intended to lead to a clinical trial of a CCR2 inhibitor used in combination with a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor.