Paolo Ceppi

Paolo Ceppi says: “Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common and deadliest cancer types. More effective therapeutic strategies based on a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the disease are urgently needed. Our lab has strong preliminary data indicating that a metabolic process converting intracellular glucose into fructose, called the polyol pathway (PP), is essential for the growth and the survival of NSCLC cells. By using various cell and molecular biology techniques, metabolic profiling, tissue staining, drug screenings and by an innovative mouse model, we aim at understanding the role and at targeting PP and fructose metabolism in lung cancer. These results will uncover the importance of PP and other fructose-associated pathways as therapeutic targets to reduce the devastating effects of aggressive NSCLCs, providing a connection between dietary sugar consumption, carbohydrate metabolism and lung cancer biology.”