Extra copies of cancer-driving genes in lung cancer
The Role of Focal Oncogene Amplifications in Lung Cancer
Researchers are using new mouse models to learn how circular DNA carrying extra copies of cancer-driving genes affects lung cancer growth and response to treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11265094 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project creates mouse models that mimic a common change seen in human lung cancers where oncogenes sit on extrachromosomal circular DNA (ecDNA). Scientists will engineer ecDNAs carrying key lung cancer genes (MYC and EGFR) using chromosome engineering and somatic gene editing to see how tumors start, grow, and respond to drugs. The team will study how ecDNA influences interactions with the immune system and whether it drives drug resistance. These models aim to reveal whether ecDNA creates weaknesses that could be targeted in future treatments for people with lung cancer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with lung adenocarcinoma or small cell lung cancer who are willing to donate tumor samples or participate in future trials focused on ecDNA-related therapies would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: Patients with cancers other than lung cancer or whose tumors do not have oncogene amplification on ecDNA are unlikely to see direct, immediate benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could explain why some lung cancers grow faster or resist therapy and point to new targets for treatments that specifically hit ecDNA-driven tumors.
How similar studies have performed: Recent human tumor studies have linked ecDNA to aggressive disease and therapy resistance, but building engineered mouse models to test causality is a novel extension of that work.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ventura, Andrea — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Ventura, Andrea
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.