2022 Lung Cancer Research Foundation Pilot Grant
Huanhuan Chen, PhD
The University of Chicago
Research Project:
A human pluripotent stem cell-based approach to metastasis of small cell lung cancer
Summary:
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the most lethal human malignancies, which has remarkable metastatic propensity among all solid tumors. However, the biological principles of SCLC metastasis remain poorly understood. In this project, we will harness innovative methods and tools, the SCLC models derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) that can be characterized at the single-cell level, to pursue the long-standing mysteries about SCLC metastasis. By interrogating the behaviors of the cells in the paired primary tumors and metastases in the hPSC-derived SCLC model, we are able to identify novel cellular, genetic, and molecular mechanisms counting for the highly metastatic potential of SCLC. Our findings are expected to generate new ideas about diagnosis or therapy for this recalcitrant cancer.