Thoracic Oncology Lab Research

Abundant evidence suggests that Wnt signaling is active in both stem cell self-renewal and malignant proliferation of immature tumor cells.  This notion is particularly interesting in light of recent evidence supporting the existence of cancer stem cells.  So-called cancer stem cells are distinct populations of cells found within tumors and possess features typical of adult stem cells such as self-renewal and capacity for differentiation...

Another research focus in the Thoracic Oncology Program is on gene expression—the output of gene products within a cancer cell. A common measure of gene expression is the level of messenger RNA (mRNA) being produced. An mRNA is a molecule that carries the blueprint for production of cellular proteins. The amount of mRNA present suggests what genes are active within the cell. The unique pattern of gene activity serves as a "genetic signature" that can be correlated with clinical outcomes and can thereby drive treatment decisions...

It is well-established that chronic inflammation contributes to the development of cancer. Lisa Coussens, Professor of Anatomic Pathology at UCSF, and an authority on inflammation, is teaming with  the Thoracic Oncology Laboratory to investigate the role of inflammation in the development of lung cancer. Many studies have demonstrated that inflammatory leukocytes promote epithelial cancer by providing growth and survival factors to initiated cells and contribute to tissue remodeling and angiogenesis...

  Lung Cancer Systems Genetics, An Approach to Individualized Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy, is the ambitous project of  Allan Balmain, Ph.D., one of world's leading molecular geneticists and David Jablons, MD, an accomplished  physician-scientist with one of the world's largest lung cancer tissue banks.  The research is supported by a generous grant from The  Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to eradicating lung cancer, through research, early detection, education, prevention, and treatment...

Wingless-int (Wnt) proteins are important secreted signaling molecules that regulate numerous interactions in the cell and affect diverse biological processes from embryogenesis to tumorigenesis. When overexpressed, they appear to contribute to a cascade of cellular derangement that results in rampant cell proliferation and failure of defective cells to commit suicide.  Aberrant activation of Wnt signaling is strongly implicated in cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, the most common type of lung cancer), mesothelioma, and esophageal, colorectal, and nasal-pharyngeal carcinomas...

The Thoracic Oncology Laboratory also studies bronchioalveolar carcinoma (BAC), a subtype of NSCLC. BACs occur disproportionately in women and non smokers, respond to therapy in a highly nuanced way, and have a more favorable clinical prognosis. In 1999 the World Heath Organization (WHO) restricted the definition of BAC to its classic or “pure” form, a non invasive lung cancer growing along the alveolar walls of the lung...

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is now the fastest growing malignancy in the Western world. It is extraordinarily difficult to treat and has an overall five-year survival of less than 15%. In recent years, there has been an alarming increase in the incidence of esophageal cancer, this against a backdrop where death rates from other cancers are dropping across the United States. EAC is thought to result from inflammation caused by chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)...

Mesotheliomas are tumors of the lining (pleural) cells of the thoracic cavity, pericardium, and peritoneum and are most commonly associated with prolonged asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is a relatively uncommon but inexorably fatal carcinoma affecting about 3,000 new patients in the United States annually. Diffuse malignant mesothelioma (MM) comprises about 75% of mesotheliomas diagnosed. Despite advances in cancer treatment, the median survival rate remains low, and most patients die within 10-17 months of their first symptoms...