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UBC Theses and Dissertations

Molecular mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis of non-small cell lung cancer subtypes Pikor, Larissa A.

Abstract

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Canada and worldwide. A late stage of diagnosis in conjunction with a lack of effective treatment options are largely responsible for the poor survival rates of lung cancer. Histological subtypes of lung cancer are known to respond differently to standard therapies, suggesting they are distinct diseases. A better understanding of the molecular alterations and underlying biology of lung cancer subtypes is therefore necessary for the development of novel detection and treatment strategies in order to improve patient prognosis. We hypothesize that lung adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) arise through disparate patterns of molecular alterations and that these differences underlie unique biological mechanisms that contribute to subtype development, phenotypes and response to therapy. In this thesis, I apply multidimensional integrative 'omics approaches to characterize the genomic and epigenomic landscapes of AC and SqCC and elucidate differential patterns of alterations and subtype specific gene disruptions causal to NSCLC and the development of specific subtypes. The integration of DNA copy number, methylation, gene and miRNA expression data on AC and SqCC tumors and patient matched non-malignant tissue identified several subtype specific alterations and revealed unique oncogenic pathways associated with AC and SqCC that can be successfully targeted by existing therapies. By combining genomic analyses with manipulation of candidate genes in vitro and in vivo, we validated the contribution of candidate genes to tumorigenesis and determined the mechanisms through which they contribute to disease pathogenesis. In addition to revealing differentially disrupted genes and pathways we also identified numerous alterations common to both subtypes. Collectively, this work has further characterized the landscape of molecular alterations that define AC and SqCC, and the mechanisms through which these alterations contribute to subtype tumorigenesis. This work has identified novel candidate genes involved in subtype tumorigenesis as well as miRNAs with potential as diagnostic biomarkers for lung cancer. Taken together, these findings underscore the importance of tailoring treatment strategies to the histological subtype based on the underlying biology of that subtype.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada