Researchers identify potential combination therapy for aggressive lung cancer

A new study by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has identified a novel combination therapy to potentially help overcome resistance to immunotherapy in people diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. The combination approach uses immune checkpoint inhibitors with ATRA, a safe medication that is widely used to treat leukemia. The team found the combination therapy lead to eradication of over 70 percent of tumors when tested in mice with LKB1-deficient lung cancer. It also generated durable tumor-specific immunity.

Lead authors are Rui Li, MD, PhD, currently a resident physician of internal medicine at UCLA, and Ramin Salehi-Rad, MD, PhD, a physician scientist in pulmonary and critical care medicine. The senior authors are Bin Liu, PhD, an adjunct professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine, and Steven Dubinett, MD, UCLA CTSI director and professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine, pathology and laboratory medicine, and molecular and medical pharmacology at the Geffen School of Medicine and physician-scientist in the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

This research was supported in part by UCLA CTSI grant UL1TR001881. 

Read the full Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Newsroom press release.

Image source: UCLA

Image caption: Dr. Rui Li and Dr. Steven Dubinett.