Previously Funded Research

Christopher Maher, PhD

Washington University

Research Project:

Understanding the regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs in lung cancer

Summary:

To date lung cancer research has primarily focused on the deregulation of protein-coding genes as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets thereby missing the emerging role of long non-coding RNAs, which do not generate proteins. Using recent technological advances, the Maher lab has discovered multiple long non-coding RNAs that are altered in the tumors of lung cancer patients relative to normal tissue. Since our understanding of how lncRNAs function in cancer is still in its infancy, the Maher lab is pursuing the hypothesis that lncRNAs can function by binding with proteins and guiding them throughout the genome to regulate genes promoting cancer. To test this, the Maher lab will dissect how lncRNAs interact with protein complexes and subsequently manipulate long non-coding RNAs to alter the ability of a protein to promote oncogenic phenotypes. Overall, a better understanding of how long non-coding RNAs enable primary tumors to invade and metastasize could lead to the development of more specific treatments, such as targeting a lncRNA directly, to improve patient outcomes.

**This project was awarded the LCRF William C. Rippe Award for Distinguished Research in Lung Cancer, acknowledging the investigator whose proposal not only demonstrates exceptional scientific merit but also exemplifies an enduring commitment to making an impact in the field of lung cancer research.