The research you fund through LCRF is making meaningful progress in the fight against lung cancer. We are pleased to share our 2023 grantees’ one-year updates in this series.
Luis Prieto, PhD
Mayo Clinic
2023 LCRF Minority Career Development Award (CDA) in Lung Cancer
What he’s doing:
Dr. Prieto is exploring how aging tissue influences cancer development and metastasis by weakening the immune response and promoting cancer cell survival.
How it’s going:
Through studies in mice of various ages, Dr. Prieto’s team has observed that aged lung tissue creates an environment that supports tumor growth. Preliminary findings suggest a promising approach: drugs that eliminate older, or “senescent,” cells appear to reduce tumor burden, slow tumor spread and extend survival in aged mice with cancer.
What it could mean for patients:
Since the median age of lung cancer patients is 70, these discoveries could pave the way for innovative strategies in cancer prevention and treatment, offering new hope for the aging population most affected by this disease.