Researchers develop new treatment for lung cancer

Israeli researchers have developed a novel strategy for a type of lung cancer with limited treatment options, the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) said in a statement on Sunday, reported Xinhua.

In a study published in Nature Communications, the Technion researchers focused on lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), a type of lung cancer often diagnosed at advanced stages with limited treatment options such as surgery and chemotherapy.

They aimed to create personalized treatment strategies for a particular type of LUAD characterized by the loss of the RBM10 protein, a tumor suppressor.

The absence of RBM10, due to mutations, leads to accelerated cell division and, in some cases, cancer development.

Through preclinical experiments, the researchers found that mutations in RBM10 speed up lung cancer progression. Loss of RBM10 occurs in about 25 percent of LUAD patients and contributes to resistance against existing treatments.

To find targeted therapies for RBM10-deficient LUAD, the researchers performed extensive genomic screening and identified 60 genes that could serve as effective therapeutic targets.

Among these genes, the team focused on the WEE1 gene because drugs that inhibit WEE1 are currently being tested in clinical trials for cancer treatment.

Their findings showed that WEE1 inhibition eliminates RBM10-deficient LUAD in mice, suggesting the clinical potential for the approach.