Previously Funded Research

Ralph Weichselbaum, MD

The University of Chicago

Research Project:

Overcoming treatment resistance in lung cancer

Summary:

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Approximately 221,000 new diagnoses and over 158,000 deaths from lung cancer occur annually. Radiotherapy is a key component of lung cancer treatment, often in combination with surgery and chemotherapy. Unfortunately, treatment failure occurs in up to 60% of localized lung cancers and contributes significantly to patient death. Treatment failure is caused in part by the tumor’s ability to resist both radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Methods to increase tumor sensitivity to both radiotherapy and chemotherapy are critical to improve treatment effectiveness and patient survival.

Recently, a group of researchers led by Dr. Ralph Weichselbaum identified a new, previously unrecognized mode of radiotherapy and chemotherapy action on tumor cells through the production of interferons, which are signaling proteins that help to activate the body’s own defense system (its immune system) against pathogens, like cancer cells and viruses. Their proposal seeks to unravel the mechanisms involved in activating or inhibiting the production of interferons in order to develop therapies that increase activation and/or decrease inhibition of interferon production. They will also test several drugs for their ability to enhance existing lung cancer therapies.