2012 UALC
Kwon-Sik Park, PhD
University of Virginia
Research Project:
Identification and validation of key drivers of SCLC using pre-neoplastic cells
Summary:
Small cell lung cancer is a deadly form of lung cancer; the majority of patients are diagnosed at late stage, for which there is no effective treatment. The mechanisms of small cell lung cancer development remain poorly understood, hampering the development of novel targeted therapies as well as methods for early detection. Dr. Park will use a novel model that will enable his team to isolate the cells of origin unique to small cell lung cancer, and identify and validate key drivers at different stages of tumor development. The ultimate goal of this project is future clinical development of novel targeted treatments for patients with small cell lung cancer.
Update April 2022:
Dr. Park co-authored a groundbreaking study finding that EP300 — the protein that the EP300 gene codes for — can either promote or inhibit SCLC.