Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2006

Mentor: John D. Minna, M.D.
Department: Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research
Room number: NB8.206
Mail Code: 8593
Phone number: 214 648-4900
E-mail: john.minna@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title: Tumor gene expression signatures for determining sensitivity or resistance to various chemotherapeutic drugs

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)

Brief Description of Project:

We are studying the in vitro (tissue culture) and in vivo (nude mouse orthotopic xenograft) sensitivities and resistance of a large number of lung and breast cancer cell lines to standard and experimental chemotherapy agents. These include drugs in the "pipelines" of pharmaceutical and biotech companies that will be coming into clinical trials. We also perform genome wide gene expression profiles using microarray technology. This allows us to develop gene expression signatures for sensitivity and resistance to individual drugs. We plan to translate this information into clinical application by sampling a patient's tumor before chemotherapy is given, performing expression profiling, and then using that information to select individualized chemotherapy for each patient. We are performing a large number of related experiments including the isolation of "stem cells" from lung cancers that are probably the reason for the immortal growth of human tumors in patients and also determining there sensitivity and resistance to chemotherapy. Finally, our lab has developed new systems for studying individual genetic events in the molecular pathogenesis of lung cancer. We do this using new immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell lines we have developed and then genetically manipulating with defined oncogenic changes and monitor their progression towards the malignant phenotype.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

Study of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes in the molecular pathogenesis of lung cancer.

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