Scientists at the Cancer Research Manchester Institute have created a new model of Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LUSC), a common type of lung cancer, to study the development, activity, and vulnerabilities of the disease.

Authors describe a unique model of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) using genetically modified primary human bronchial basal cells. This strategy constitutes an alternative and patient-relevant system to model LUSC and identify genotype-phenotype correlations relevant for LUSC medicine and early detection.

The Genome Editing and Mouse Models facility generated the conditional KRASG12C mice in this publication. Authors show that KRASG12D is more potent than KRASG12C in driving NSCLC initiation in vivo.

The authors have created a resource tool that is valuable in assessing precancerous lesions in the lung, which may serve as a tool for investigators working in this area, and as an example for additional similar resources. The accessibility of the tool is a concern but does not diminish the quality of the product.

This year was a significant period for our Institute as we made the long-anticipated return to the Paterson Building, our brand-new research facility on the Christie NHS Foundation Trust site. Find out how our staff continued to excel in all aspects of Institute life and reconnected with the wider scientific community within the Manchester Cancer Research Centre.