Understanding Crosstalk in Tumor Microenvironment Could Lead to New Precision Medicine Approaches

Many patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have no identifiable mutations, and therefore their disease cannot be managed with targeted treatments. These patients often experience disease progression despite chemotherapy. However, a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medical College used a new approach to examine crosstalk between cancer cells and cells in the microenvironment in NSCLC. Instead of looking at the tumor as a whole, the researchers used deep sequencing of RNA to analyze individual cell populations isolated from NSCLC specimens, an approach that could someday lead to new treatments for patients with NSCLC.