Previously Funded Research

therapeutic strategies are urgently needed for non-small cell lung cancer, as

the prognosis of patients with advanced stages remains dismal. Dr. Marullo’s

research has revealed that a subgroup of non-small cell lung cancer relies on

the activity of a protein called BCL6 to survive. By repressing multiple

genes, BCL6 promotes tolerance to oncogenic-associated stresses, among which

stress derived from genomic damage, thus resulting in resistance towards the

chemotherapeutic drugs currently in use to treat lung cancer patients. Better

understanding of the role of BCL6 in lung cancer is particularly relevant as

small molecule inhibitors of BCL6 are currently under development. By

characterizing the molecular programs regulated by BCL6 in lung cancer, Dr.

Marullo aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms through which BCL6

promotes survival and chemoresistance in this disease. This knowledge will be

then applied to optimize the use of BCL6 inhibitors, alone or in combination

with chemotherapy, for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.