Fatty Acid Binding Protein-5 as a Novel Therapeutic Target Against Aggressive Lung Cancer
Abstract
Our area of emphasis is to understand molecular mechanisms of initiation and progression to clinically significant lung cancer. We hypothesize that fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5) plays an important role in enhancing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling in NSCLC. Furthermore, high expression of FABP5 was shown to be significantly associated with decreased survival probability of lung cancer patients. In addition, we found that higher FABP5 expression was associated with worse overall survival in chemotherapy-treated lung cancer patients compared to non-chemotherapy treated patients. We hypothesize that FABP5 may regulate expression of EGFR or EGFR mutants in NSCLC. EGFR inhibitors are currently in clinical use for NSCLC patients. However, most of the patients ultimately develop resistance against EGFR targeted therapies, possibly due to abnormal signal transduction and high EGFR-mediated signaling. In this proposal, we will further illustrate FABP5-mediated mechanisms in enhancing NSCLC growth and metastasis, especially through activation of EGFR signaling. We will also determine the therapeutic potential of FABP5 inhibitor against tumor growth and metastasis of EGFR-positive NSCLC. These studies will enhance our understanding of the novel role of FABP5 in NSCLC progression and metastasis. These studies will in the development of new treatment strategies to overcome drug-resistance against EGFR-targeted therapies in NSCLC patients. In the United States, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related mortality. Lung cancer is an urgent priority among Veterans as evidenced by not only higher incidence rate, but also the survival is lower than in civilian populations. Moreover, military members and beneficiaries are at higher risk of developing lung cancer due to being exposed to environmental carcinogens, stress, and an increased rate of smoking during their Service. Our proposed studies will have long-term effects for improving overall survival in military personnel or related beneficiaries afflicted with NSCLC.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110318
Entities
People
- Ramesh K. Ganju
Organizations
- Ohio State University
- United States Army