University of Missouri – Columbia (MU)
NSCLC stands as one of the deadliest malignancies, with an alarming 5-year survival rate of only 26%, inflicting devastating impacts on patients. The grim statistic of therapy resistance, a leading cause behind cancer recurrence and metastasis, underscores an urgent need for innovative approaches to improve patient outcomes. Despite advancements in adjuvant therapies, including immunotherapy and combinations of chemotherapy, many NSCLC patients face resistance, leading to poor responses and dismal prognoses. The existing knowledge gap surrounding the mechanisms that elicit and perpetuate therapy resistance represents a critical barrier that we are poised to address. The objective of our research proposal is to overcome the primary resistance to chemo-/immunotherapeutic drugs in NSCLC patients by targeting AKR1B10. By filling the critical knowledge gap surrounding therapy resistance, our research promises to advance personalized care for lung cancer patients and could lead to transformative changes in standard of care treatment protocols.