Folate Receptor in Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung: Potential Target for Folate-Linked Therapeutic Agents

• DOI: 10.5858/arpa.2012-0176-oa
• Publication Date: 2012-09-17T16:37:54Z
• Authors: Philip T. Cagle; Qihui “Jim” Zhai; Linda Murphy; Philip S. Low
• Keywords: Folate receptor; Tissue microarray; Targeted Therapy

Lung cancer is the number one cause of deaths in United States and globally. The advent targeted therapies has offered a new treatment paradigm for lung cancer, but currently validated emerging drugs are effective only small minority cancers, predominantly adenocarcinomas. Folate receptors can serve as targets attached to folate overexpressed many cancers.To determine frequency receptor overexpression cancers different cell types potential folate-linked therapy.High-density tissue microarrays were constructed from archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded resection specimens 188 primary stage I or II adenocarcinomas squamous carcinomas with three 0.1-cm cores each tumor. Tissue immunostained α mAb343 results scored (0 1+ = weak expression, 2+ 3+ strong expression).Eighty-four 117 (72%) strongly positive receptor, 36 71 (51%) receptor.Our data indicate that large percentage including addition adenocarcinomas, express receptor. This suggests therapy potentially be used treat majority both and, particularly, carcinomas, do not respond current therapies.