New V Grant in Honor of Charles Barkley Awarded to OSUCCC 

Charles Barkley accepts award for grant named in his honor.

EGRF Working Group at the OSUCCC

African Americans, for example, develop lung cancer at higher rates than others and face a 29 percent higher death rate from the disease at one year than whites. Genetic differences in the regulation of the EGFR pathway, a key therapeutic target in lung cancer, may explain some of these differences, said Villalona, who is an associate professor of hematology/oncology at Ohio State.

Biological alterations in tumors—specifically, EGFR mutations—can predict for response to targeted therapies. The EGFR is a protein found on the surface of some cells and to which epidermal growth factor binds, causing the cells to divide. It is found at abnormally high levels on the surface of many types of cancer cells, so these cells may divide excessively in the presence of epidermal growth factor. The V Foundation grant will allow Villalona and his collaborators to explore the EGFR pathway more fully.

 “We are continuously seeking answers to our questions about lung cancer in an effort to improve treatment and quality of life for our patients,” said Villalona, who is a member of the OSUCCC’s Experimental Therapeutics Program. “With research and treatment areas in place at one institution, we are able to turn translational studies into multiple modes of care that give patients more options for fighting this challenging disease.”