2012 UALC
Adam Crystal, MD, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital
Research Project:
A combination drug approach for treating EML4-ALK driven NSCLC with acquired resistance to crizotinib
Summary:
Dr. Crystal’s research is focused on improving treatment for a subset of non-small cell lung cancer patients with tumors harboring ALK gene rearrangements, representing approximately 3-7% of patients. Recently, the ALK inhibitor crizotinib was approved for treatment of these patients, but while responses are often dramatic, patients eventually become resistant to crizotinib and relapse. Dr. Crystal’s project will investigate a new combination therapy of crizotinib and Src family kinase inhibitors as well as continue to search for novel mechanisms of resistance to ALK- targeted therapy.