The American Lung Association organization announced on Wednesday its new research team, which includes Dr. Sharon Pine of Rutgers.
Pine’s research titled “Treating PI3 Kinase-mutant NSCLC,” was given the Lung Cancer Discovery Award and received $100,000 in funding for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
Pine proposes to test a novel way to treat squamous cell carcinomas that have a mutation in the gene called PIK3CA. A mutation in PIK3CA is believed to be the driver of the tumor. She proposes pre-clinical pilot studies to examine a new treatment option for these patients.
Her long-term goal is to make targeted therapy a reality for all lung cancer patients. Pine believes the proposed work will bring us closer to that goal and ultimately improve survival for patients with lung cancer, according to the American Lung Association.
The American Lung Association also increased its research investment to $8.7 million, through awards for both our Airways Clinical Research Center (ACRC) Network and its innovative Awards & Grants program.
The Awards and Grants Program provides investigators with the funds, at all levels of their career, to conduct novel and promising research to prevent, treat and even cure lung disease. The ACRC is the nation’s largest not-for-profit network of clinical research centers dedicated to asthma and COPD treatment research that promises to have a direct, positive impact on patient care.
Research projects funded by the American Lung Association are selected through rigorous scientific review and represent the investigation of a wide range of complex issues to help combat and reduce the suffering and burden of lung disease.
Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer of both women and men in the U.S. The American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE initiative is dedicated to increasing awareness about the risk of this deadly disease and uniting Americans to raise funds for critical lung cancer research. The Lung Association is funding many research grants dedicated to lung cancer research, including the Lung Cancer Discovery Award.
