Unraveling the Effects of Pl3K Signaling Activation and Hypoxia on Radiation and Chemoradiation Resistance of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung
Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) represents 85% of lung cancer cases. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation (RT). However, many patients relapse after treatment. Tools to predict recurrence after RT could help physicians optimize RT paradigms or identify alternative treatments. We aim to develop a new tool to assess pretreatment biopsy specimens for chemoradiation sensitivity in a subset of NSCLC. We will determine if, as suggested by preliminary data, the activation of PI3K and hypoxia pathways can predict patient outcomes and contribute to chemoradiation resistance. We will study hypoxia’s effects on DNA repair and the sensitivity of cancer cells to PI3K pathway inhibition. We will then explore the potential of a new drug class, which has been shown in phase II clinical trials to significantly improve clinical response in head and neck cancers, in NSCLC models. These studies can lead to new clinical trials to further improve patient outcomes.
