Nelson LaMarche, PhD

A major driver of immunotherapy failure in lung cancer is the tumor’s microenvironment, which often contains large numbers of immunosuppressive cells. Immunosuppressive cells limit tumor killing. We recently discovered that a secreted protein called interleukin-4 (or IL-4) is a central driver of immune suppression in lung cancer. Blocking this protein with a commonly used allergy medicine called dupilumab can activate the immune system in advanced lung cancer patients and drive clinical responses. Because we know very little about the regulation of IL-4 production in lung cancer or the downstream effects of this protein, our ability to identify patients that would benefit from dupilumab immunotherapy is limited. In this study, we will mechanistically determine pathways of pathologic IL-4 signaling in lung cancer. Our results will help us identify biomarkers for patients who will respond to IL-4 pathway blockade in lung cancer and aid in the selection of patients for new clinical trials.

Pierre Massion Lung Cancer Discovery Award