WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Patient group
RETpositive and LUNGevity Foundation today announced the 2022
recipients of the first RETpositive/LUNGevity Translational
Research Award for RET-Positive Lung Cancer. RET is a driver
mutation found in approximately 1%-2% of people with non-small cell
lung cancer. The goal of these awards is to transform the future
for those diagnosed with RET-positive lung cancer by changing
RET-positive lung cancer into a chronic or curable condition.
These awards total $100,000 each
for a two-year term. Funds were raised by RETpositive, a
patient-driven nonprofit that aims to improve the quality of life
and life expectancy of RET-positive cancer patients.
The 2022 award has been presented to:
• Alexandre Reuben, PhD,
Assistant Professor, The University of
Texas MD Anderson Cancer
T-cell receptor engineering for the treatment of RET
fusion-positive NSCLC
Despite advances in the development of RET inhibitors, patients
with RET fusions eventually have disease progression. Immunotherapy
has been inefficient in patients harboring RET fusions. However,
RET fusion proteins themselves may be immunogenic and give rise to
an immune response. Dr. Reuben hypothesizes that RET fusions give
rise to immunogenic antigens that can be effectively recognized and
targeted by engineered T-cells. This project will identify which
antigens can elicit an immune response. This information will be
used to engineer customized T-cells to gain the ability to
recognize those cancer cells that produce these RET fusion
proteins. The ultimate goal is to offer new therapeutic
alternatives by expanding the possibility of immunotherapy
treatment in the overwhelming majority of NSCLC patients harboring
RET fusions.
• Hideo Watanabe,
MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai
Targeting lineage plasticity to suppress DTP in RET-positive
lung cancer
Despite an initial response to the newly approved RET inhibiting
drugs, most RET-positive lung cancers become resistant to these
drugs, and the cancers relapse. Dr. Watanabe's project will provide
anti-relapse therapeutic strategies for RET-positive lung cancer
that target newly identified "drug-tolerant persisters" (DTPs).
DTPs are a small population of cancer cells that do not respond to
these drugs and therefore start growing, leading to the relapse of
these cancers. The role of DTPs in RET-positive lung cancer is not
well understood. Dr. Watanabe proposes therapeutic strategies, such
as targeting the Wnt and Hippo signaling pathway to overcome the
DTP adaptability and prevent relapse before these cells arise.
"We are delighted to partner with LUNGevity Foundation and fund
these innovative high-risk, high-reward projects. Through these
projects, we hope to uncover new treatment approaches for
RET-positive lung cancer," noted Nicolas
Le-Bel, co-founder of RETpositive.
The RETpositive/LUNGevity partnership was founded by Nicolas and
the late Dr. Aliye Bricker in 2021.
"These awards are a true testament to Aliye's leadership and
vision. We lost her to this terrible disease last week. This is a
stark reminder of why we need more therapies for RET-positive
NSCLC. These projects are part of Aliye's enduring legacy to
improve outcomes for RET-driven cancer," said Dr. Hilary Hammell, another member of the
RETpositive team who was involved in the selection of the
grants.
"It is an absolute honor to fund these two amazing researchers
in partnership with RETpositive. These projects were selected after
a rigorous review process that involved members of the RETpositive
community and international leaders in RET research. The ultimate
decision was made by the RETpositive team," noted Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, executive director of
research at LUNGevity Foundation. "It's really impactful to see
patients and caregivers driving the research agenda and funding
projects that are the most meaningful to the RET community."
These two new grants will lay the foundation for exploring new
avenues to target RET-positive lung cancer.
About RETpositive
RETpositive is a 501(c)(3) patient-driven group that aims to
improve the quality of life and life expectancy of RET-positive
cancer patients through increased awareness, emotional support,
advocacy, and medical research funding for RET-driven cancer. For
more information about RETpositive, please visit
www.retpositive.org
About LUNGevity Foundation
LUNGevity Foundation is the nation's leading lung cancer
organization focused on improving outcomes for people with lung
cancer through research, policy initiatives, education, support,
and engagement for patients, survivors, and caregivers. LUNGevity
seeks to make an immediate impact on the quality of life and
survivorship for everyone touched by the disease—while promoting
health equity by addressing disparities throughout the care
continuum. LUNGevity works tirelessly to advance research into
early detection and more effective treatments, provide information
and educational tools to empower patients and their caregivers,
promote impactful public policy initiatives, and amplify the
patient voice through research and engagement. The organization
provides an active community for patients and survivors—and those
who help them live longer and better lives.
Comprehensive resources include a medically vetted and
patient-centric website, a toll-free HELPLine for support, the
International Lung Cancer Survivorship Conference, and an
easy-to-use Clinical Trial Finder, among other tools. All
of these programs are to achieve our vision—a world where no one
dies of lung cancer. LUNGevity Foundation is proud to be a
four-star Charity Navigator organization.
Our vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer. For more
information about LUNGevity Foundation, please
visit LUNGevity.org.
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SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation
