2014 UALC
Hailun Wang, PhD
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine
Research Project:
Twist1-induced NOX4-dependent Oncogenic ROS as a Mechanism for Erlotinib Resistance in EGFR Mutant Lung Cancer
Summary:
Approximately 10% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the U.S. have tumor associated EGFR mutations. Lung cancers with EGFR mutations, initially respond very well to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as erlotinib, but all patients develop resistance within 10‐16 months. Dr. Wang is developing a new treatment for erlotinib resistant EGFR mutant lung cancers by targeting NOX4 gene and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). He will be performing preclinical studies of a new drug combination in patient-derived cell lines and transgenic mouse models of lung cancers.