Lung Cancer Research Foundation and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Announce First Team Science Award Grant

Groups Award $2.5 Million, Four-Year Research Grant to Team Led by Dr. David Barbie of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) today announced the first grant awarded to its IASLC - LCRF Team Science Research Grant on the Next Step in the Cure of Oncogene-Driven Lung Cancers. David A. Barbie, MD, Director of the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Insititute, and principal investigator of the Barbie Lab, will be leading the winning project, "Immune elimination of drug tolerant persister cells in oncogene-driven lung cancer." The research team is comprised of Dr. Barbie as principal investigator; Aaron Hata, MD, PhD of Massachusetts General Hospital; Eric Smith, MD, PhD of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Pasi Jänne, MD, PhD of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; and Shunsuke Kitajima, PhD representing the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research.

Lung cancer is responsible for more deaths worldwide than any other cancer, accounting for an estimated 130,180 deaths annually in the United States alone. In the last 10 to 15 years, accelerated clinical trials and FDA approvals of targeted therapies for non-small cell lung carcinoma have been possible in part due to advances in molecular profiling of tumors. Many of these targeted therapies are directed against oncogenic drivers, with EGFR as one of the first oncogenic drivers that was successfully targeted with the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs.)

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are effective at controlling the disease but eventually, the lung cancer cells develop resistance to treatment and patients are not cured. The goal of this Team Science Award is to investigate strategies that will lead to a cure for oncogene-driven lung cancer. It is thought that some lung cancer cells persist after treatment. These drug tolerant persister (DTP) cells eventually result in progressive cancer. There has been a lot of interest in studying DTP cells to see if vulnerabilities can be identified that can be targeted earlier to destroy these cells before disease progression results. Most oncogene-driven lung cancers are "cold" tumors and do not respond to immunotherapy, though these DTP cells may have vulnerabilities in their immune makeup that renders them susceptible to immunotherapy. 

Dr. Barbie and his research team have identified a negative regulator of an immune pathway in DTP cells. By inhibiting this negative regulator, they plan to unleash an immune attack on the DTP cells. The hope is that these studies may define a new therapeutic approach that could make the DTPs more sensitive to being killed by immunotherapy. There are a number of agents being developed that could be useful in inhibiting the negative immune regulator thus making this concept feasible for transitioning to a clinical trial for patients. In addition, there are proteins in malignant DTP cells that make them ideal targets for treatment. Once the presence of those proteins is confirmed, and CAR-T cells generated, the team will test the negative immune regulator in combination with the CAR-T cells to treat the oncogenic-driven lung cancer.

"It is a very exciting time for lung cancer research, and we are confident that our team will uncover approaches that will make a difference for patients living with oncogenic-driven lung cancer," says Dr. David Barbie. "This award will allow us to make significant impact that will hopefully result in a clinical trial."

"Being able to stop resistance before it begins would be practice-changing for oncologists and life-saving for patients," says Dr. Antoinette Wozniak, Chief Scientific Officer for LCRF. "Working together – funders, patients and research teams – we can help move science forward, faster. LCRF is thrilled to be partnering with IASLC to fund this project and this team of researchers."

"We believe that multidisciplinary, international partnerships will accelerate the pace of research, and we are excited to support impactful collaborative science," says Dr. Jennifer C. King, Chief Science Officer, IASLC. "We're pleased to join forces with LCRF on this first Team Science award, and hope Dr. Barbie and team's innovative research program is an important step toward the goal of curing oncogenic-driven lung cancer."

About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) 

The Lung Cancer Research Foundation® (LCRF) is the leading nonprofit organization focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. LCRF's mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of lung cancer. To date, LCRF has funded 420 research grants, totaling nearly $45 million, the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research. For more information about the LCRF grant program and funding opportunities, visit lcrf.org/research.

About the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only global organization dedicated solely to the study of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. Founded in 1974, the association's membership includes more than 10,000 lung cancer specialists across all disciplines in over 100 countries, forming a global network working together to conquer lung and thoracic cancers worldwide. The association also publishes the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the primary educational and informational publication for topics relevant to the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of all thoracic malignancies. Visit www.iaslc.org for more information.

Contact:

LUNG CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION (LCRF)
Sheila Sullivan
Sr. Director, Marketing & Communications
[email protected]

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF LUNG CANCER (IASLC)
Chris Martin
IASLC Media Relations
[email protected]

SOURCE Lung Cancer Research Foundation