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Bexarotene is a synthetic form of retinoid acid (Vitamin A) that has the potential for use in lung cancer chemoprevention. Dr. Petty is conducting a clinical trial with a treatment combination of bexarotene and erlotinib (Tarceva) in EGFR-positive patients who have metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). He is also evaluating biomarkers that will predict response to the combination regimen.

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is active in both small cell and non-small cell lung cancer and provides a “don’t stop growing” signal to cancer cells. Dr. Robbins is working to identify and validate a panel of biomarkers that can be used to determine whether the lung cancer is sensitive to drugs that stop Hh signaling.