David Feldser, Ph.D.

Lung adenocarcinoma is a common malignancy of the lung. Although effective treatment options do exist for a small subset of these cancers, therapies that are widely applicable for these patients are lacking. We will study one molecular pathway, known as the Rb Pathway, which commonly malfunctions in lung adenocarcinoma. Our preliminary work has identified a critical mechanism that could be targeted therapeutically to restore function to the Rb Pathway. Our objective is to better understand this therapeutic strategy, in order to develop treatments that will be effective in the vast majority of lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Update: The KRAS gene belongs to a class of genes known as oncogenes. When mutated, oncogenes have the potential to cause normal lung cells to become cancerous. Our project continues to highlight that in the context of KRAS mutations, an enyzyme called Cdk2 kinase is the principle pathway component responsible for Rb Pathway inaction. Our project aims to target Cdk2 through experiments to establish a framework for reactivating the Rb Pathway as a widely applicable therapy.