2011 UALC
Jamey Young, PhD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Research Project:
Identifying pathways of redox regulation in LKB1-deficient NSCLC cells
Summary:
LKB1 is a tumor suppressor gene (a gene that stops tumors from growing) that is lost in 20-30% of NSCLC patient tumors. Normally, it is responsible for regulating how the cell responds to stress caused by nutrient starvation or free radicals. However, Dr. Young has shown that LKB1-deficient NSCLC cells have these stress-induced metabolic pathways permanently “turned on” due to loss of control by LKB1. Dr. Young will investigate how these pathways become enhanced without LKB1 regulation and how they respond to changing stress conditions, thereby finding new therapeutic targets for NSCLC patients harboring loss of LKB1.
More Content:
Interim Report
Preliminary data shows that higher baseline metabolic activity may protect NSCLC cells from anti-oxidant treatment. Dr. Young will be further analyzing specific signaling pathways to understand how LKB1-regulated proteins may play a role. Dr. Young has also been investigating another commonly altered pathway in lung cancer in combination with LKB1, and has demonstrated some positive preliminary data showing that these two pathways may work together to combat oxidative stress in the cell.
Notable Accomplishments
Dr. Young has received over $100,000 in follow-on funding from the Department of Defense.