2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) - Posters-P2.16F.01 Patient-Led Oncogene-Driven Lung Cancer Translational Research to Expedite Therapeutic Development

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The document presents a study led by ALK Positive Inc., a patient advocacy organization, focused on accelerating the development of treatments for oncogene-driven lung cancers, specifically ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The initiative is characterized as patient-led, involving individuals with backgrounds in medicine, research, biotech, and finance to create informed Medical Committees. The overall goal is to convert these lethal cancers into manageable chronic diseases, eventually curing them.<br /><br />A major component of the research involves utilizing single cell RNA sequencing data. The study analyzed more than 20,000 protein-coding genes from a human lung cell atlas to nominate candidate targets for new therapies and biomarkers of tumor response. EirClin, a collaborative partner, contributed to data harmonization and expression analysis using advanced computational tools. Results were visualized using specialized software, demonstrating gene expression across different cancer driver genotypes like ALK, EGFR, and KRAS.<br /><br />The study identified sets of genes expressed among various lung cancer driver types, providing insights into potential druggable pathways. Findings indicated a diversity in gene expression patterns across patient samples, suggesting the need for tailored therapeutic approaches rather than one-size-fits-all clinical trials.<br /><br />This research underscores the potential of independent, patient-centered studies to contribute significantly to developing new cancer treatments. The data highlight potential targets for existing FDA-approved drugs, which could expedite early-phase clinical trials for ALK NSCLC therapies. Collaborative efforts with additional data resources are sought to further validate potential therapeutic targets using proteomic approaches, emphasizing the promising role of patient-driven initiatives in cancer research.

Asset Subtitle

Marc Muskavitch

Meta Tag

Speaker Marc Muskavitch

Topic Patient Advocacy

Keywords

ALK Positive Inc.

oncogene-driven lung cancer

ALK+ NSCLC

patient-led initiative

single cell RNA sequencing

lung cell atlas

gene expression

druggable pathways

patient-centered research

therapeutic targets