"We hope to use these models to understand how mutations in the EGFR gene initiate lung tumors, which are the most common cause of cancer mortality.
In addition, these models will allow us to evaluate the effectiveness of new drugs and drug combinations and to study the molecular basis of resistance to existing tyrosine kinase inhibitors," explains Dr. Politi.
Patients of lung cancer who harbor mutations in the human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene generally have a better response to drugs that inhibit EGFR (like Iressa and Tarceva). The researchers have engineered a strain of mice with a mutated form of EGFR that can be turned on or off in lung cells at will.
Such inducible EGFR-mutant mice allowed the researchers to evaluate the contribution of EGFR mutations to lung cancer formation, progression and response to chemotherapeutics and later found that mutations in EGFR force tumorigenesis and that either turning off the mutant EGFR gene or inhibiting it with drug can effectively force the tumors into regression.
Therefore, the novel animal model not only gives mechanistic insight into the genetic factors involved in lung cancer, but also serves as a prototype to develop, test, and hopefully improve targeted cancer therapies.
Source: Science Daily
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