Lung cancer resistance to treatment may not be genetic, scientists find: What does this mean?
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Scientists have discovered non-genetic mechanisms that are responsible for the resistance of lung cancer to one of the most common methods of treatment.
This is reported by Medical Xpress with reference to a study published in the scientific journal Science Advances.
The study was conducted by a team of scientists from City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment centers in the United States, led by Ravi Saljia, MD.
Specialists studied the resistance of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to the anticancer drug Sotorasib.
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It suppresses the KRAS G12C protein mutation that causes uncontrolled cell growth.
The researchers concluded that early on, most tumor cells are sensitive to Sotorasib. However, during treatment, some of them can become tolerant to the drug without genetic changes – “manipulating the KRAS-Sotorasib interaction network”.
At the same time, the tumor cells become sensitive to Sotorasib again if the treatment is stopped. So, this phenomenon is reversible, and therefore caused by non-genetic mechanisms, scientists say.
If the treatment continues for a long time, genetic mutations can potentially occur. They can lead to permanent drug resistance.
However, scientists have discovered that resistance to Sotorasib can be overcome. To do this, it should be used in combination with another anticancer therapy – Carfilzomib.
The KRAS protein is mutated in about 30% of patients with NDRL. Sotorasib, which is a small molecule inhibitor, directly targets mutated KRAS (G12C). It is effective at the first stage.
“However, the response to treatment decreases over time, indicating that the tumors have developed resistance to the drugs. This resistance can be innate, that is, mutations that prevent the toxic effects of treatment exist even before exposure to drugs, or acquired, that is, a mutation induced by therapy.
In any case, for a long time it was believed that the main mechanism of mutation is genetic in nature. However, it is now increasingly recognized, thanks in part to the work of Salgia and his team, that genetic mechanisms may not be the only drivers of therapeutic resistance.”– says Medical Xpress.
The results of this study may potentially contribute to overcoming drug resistance in patients with non-small cell malignancies.
In particular, elucidating the type of resistance (genetic or non-genetic) is key to personalizing the patient’s treatment.
We will remind you that earlier we told which services at the Cancer Institute are free for patients.
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