Genomic and mechanistic interrogation of novel genes and gene signatures in non-small cell lung cancer

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with 1.7 million deaths per year. Moreover, lung cancer is comprised of several histological subtypes, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) making up ~85% of the cases. Presently, the most important prognosis of NSCLC is the stage of disease. However, a vast majority of patients have locally advanced or metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. Despite the number of current therapies consisting of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, patients with locally advanced NSCLC have heterogeneous outcomes. Recently, the advent of targeted therapies against specific genetic mutations or rearrangements have improved response rates and overall survival but there remains an unmet need to uncover novel genes involved in this disease. We have applied bioinformatics approaches to better elucidate the role of various genes or gene signatures in non-small lung cancer in several capacities -- 1) to uncover gene expression signatures to improve risk stratification and outcome in those diagnosed with early stage NSCLC; 2) to identify de novo genomic fusions and breakpoints from targeted paired-end DNA sequencing data; and 3) elucidate the function of a novel splicing factor mutation in non-small cell lung cancer. In the first application, we obtained gene expression profiles from 1106 non-squamous NSCLCs for the generation and internal validation of a 9-gene molecular prognostic index (MPI). This was validated on an independent cohort of FFPE tissues from 98 NSCLC patients. As a second application, we demonstrate a practical and robust identification method of DNA rearrangements resulting in gene fusions through the development of a Fusion And Chromosomal Translocation Enumeration and Recovery Algorithm (FACTERA). Some of these recurrent fusions involving ALK, ROS1, RET, and NTRK1 have been identified in NSCLC, leading to the development and approval of targeted therapies. Lastly, the third application identifies a novel recurrent splicing factor mutation in non-small lung cancer. We have characterized the binding and splicing properties of this splicing factor and functional changes associated with the mutation. The approaches described here can be applied to uncover other gene or gene expression signatures in NSCLC and be expanded to other cancer indications.

Description

Type of resource text
Form electronic; electronic resource; remote
Extent 1 online resource.
Publication date 2018
Issuance monographic
Language English

Creators/Contributors

Associated with Lee, Luke Jaewon
Associated with Stanford University, Cancer Biology Program.
Primary advisor Alizadeh, Ash
Primary advisor Diehn, Maximilian
Thesis advisor Alizadeh, Ash
Thesis advisor Diehn, Maximilian
Thesis advisor Giaccia, Amato J
Thesis advisor Pollack, Jonathan D
Advisor Giaccia, Amato J
Advisor Pollack, Jonathan D

Subjects

Genre Theses

Bibliographic information

Statement of responsibility Luke Jaewon Lee.
Note Submitted to the Program in Cancer Biology.
Thesis Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2018.
Location electronic resource

Access conditions

Copyright
© 2017 by Luke Jaewon Lee
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).

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