OPTIMIZATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MURINE MODELS OF NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER

Lung cancer can be classified into two main groups: small cell and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC is the most frequent diagnosed type, arising form specific driver mutations occurring in genes encoding for components of RTK signaling pathway. Despite the recent development of specific targeted therapies, such as those directed against mutant EGFR or Kras, the survival rate after five years is still low, due to the frequent emergence of relapse. To gain more insight into these phenomena, in this work we set to establish in vivo murine models of NSCLC. We will test the progression pattern of tumors from the early neoplasia to adenocarcinoma stage and plan to test the effects of therapautic regimens directed against specific oncogenic drivers.