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  5. Catherine Rufatto Sears, MD
Catherine Rufatto Sears, MD

Catherine Rufatto Sears, MD

Indiana University

Research Project:
Learning How Lung Cancer Develops in People with COPD

Grant Awarded:

  • Lung Cancer Discovery Award

Research Topics:

  • basic biologic mechanisms
  • tobacco

Research Diseases:

  • COPD
  • lung cancer

Lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common and fatal lung diseases. both linked to older age and cigarette smoking. Also, they both commonly develop in the same patient, as COPD increases the risk of lung cancer. Reduced DNA repair is implicated in both, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. We discovered a critical role of the DNA repair protein Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group C (XPC) in protecting against both lung cancer and COPD development in mice. We will use a mouse model to study how DNA repair deficiency impacts lung cells in response to cigarette smoke, leading to development of lung cancer and COPD. We will use this model to understand the interaction between the tumor and local lung environment, as well as the development of genome alterations in COPD and lung cancer. This may lead to a better understanding of how lung cancer develops in patients with COPD.

Supported by the Mary Fuller Russell Fund

Page last updated: November 20, 2024

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