Grant: Project Grant

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, with only about 20% of patients living beyond five years post-diagnosis. Despite new treatments, many patients, particularly those with a specific mutation in the KRAS gene found in 20-30% of lung cancers, do not respond effectively to current therapies. These cancers, especially when combined with other genetic changes, often resist standard immunotherapies that harness the patient's immune system to fight cancer. Our team is working on an innovative approach to tackle this challenge by using tiny natural particles called extracellular vesicles to deliver a special molecule to the immune cells. This molecule activates a critical pathway called STING, essential for mobilizing the body's immune system against cancer. By targeting this pathway specifically in immune cells that present cancer markers, we aim to strengthen the body's fight against cancer and make these resistant lung tumors more responsive to therapy. Our research is focused on three main goals: 1) Develop and test a new therapeutic platform that activates the right immune cells to attack cancer cells. 2) Compare two ways of delivering this therapeutic platform - either by producing these therapeutic extracellular vesicles outside the body and injecting them, or by generating them directly in the tumor using a viral vector. 3) Combine our approach with existing immunotherapies to see if we can boost their effectiveness against lung cancer. The ultimate goal is to provide new hope by enhancing the effectiveness of current treatments and improving survival and quality of life for patients with lung cancer.