Expression of DLL3 in small cell lung cancer and its application in targeted therapy

Abstract

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has a poor biological behavior, high probability of recurrence and metastasis, and limited treatment. The Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that regulates the growth of many cell types through local cell-cell interactions. It controls the differentiation, proliferation and survival of cells. As a ligand for the Notch pathway, delta-like protein 3 (DLL3) is highly expressed on the membrane of SCLC cells. DLL3 plays an important role in cancer initiation and epithelial mesenchymal transition, invasion and metastasis of SCLC. Rovalpituzumab tesirine is a conjugate of directed against DLL3, which shows great potential for SCLC therapy. Key words: Small cell lung carcinoma; Receptors, Notch; Delta-like protein 3