2012 Free to Breathe Young Investigator Research Grant
Adam Crystal, MD, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Research Project:
Overcoming Drug Resistance
Summary:
The lung cancer drug crizotinib has been a huge success story among targeted therapies, proven effective for up to 60% of patients who harbor a large mutation, called a translocation, in the ALK gene. However, over time, most tumors develop resistance to crizotinib and become much more difficult to treat. By investigating new drugs and methods that could overcome drug resistance, Dr. Crystal is determined to advance the treatment of lung cancer patients, in particular those with cancers driven by ALK.