To understand how genes change in cancer, our field has uncovered many gene mutations and deletions in patient tumors. However, we have not yet been able to create treatments that can combat many of these changes. This research proposal will test the potential for new combinations of medicines to treat tumors with a common gene many cancers need on for survival, PRMT5. A number of aggressive tumor types have PRMT5 as a drug target including lung cancer which remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. and pancreatic cancer where >90% of patients with this disease will succumb to it. We need to make better medicines to treat these cancers.
We will test our ability to drug PRMT5 protein in lung tumors in combination with other new drug targets. This work will provide fundamental insights into mechanisms of PRMT5 function and reveal new strategies to treat an aggressive and deadly form of cancer. It is necessary that we test and design effective, rationale combination therapies in cancer. These efforts aim to effectively kill tumors and to avoid tumors coming back in the patient.
This work could lead to clinical trials in the future that would directly benefit cancer patients and their families. My goal is for our laboratory to contribute to mentoring young scientists and to improving cancer treatment for patients. This V scholar award will help me to achieve my goals by providing additional support, mentorship, and scientific exchanges.
