A translational approach to lung cancer research: From EGFRs to Wnt and cancer stem cells.
Lung cancer remains the main cause of all cancer deaths in the United States. The prognosis for non-small cell lung cancer, despite advances in current therapies, is disappointing. Fortunately, we are steadily gaining significant insights into the heterogeneous molecular pathogenesis of lung cancer, which seems to occur in a stepwise manner, mainly secondary to tobacco smoking. With the emerging power of gene expression signatures for individual lung tumors and with the advancing field of stem cell biology and the paradigm of cancer stem cells, we are most certainly paving the way to developing novel tools for the early detection, chemoprevention, and treatment of these vastly morbid pathologies with enormous global burden. We will explore some of these issues and highlight how we are starting to translate them into clinically relevant tools for lung cancer patients.
Yagui-Beltrán
Adam
A
Department of Surgery, The University of California San Francisco, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 94143, USA.
Jablons
David M
DM
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000639:trends*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000098:blood supply / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D066246:ErbB Receptors