Funded equally by LUNGevity Foundation and the Illinois Chapter of the American Cancer Society
Federico Innocenti, MD, PhD
University of Chicago Department of Medicine
Chicago
The key proteins driving the growth of new blood vessels in tumors are the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its main receptors. Dr. Innocenti is studying how the level of these factors varies in the tumors of non-small cell lung cancer patients. He is also determining whether there is a genetic basis for the difference in their levels and what the role of these proteins in helping patients live longer is.