Lung cancer: Current status of preclinical research

Lung cancer has evolved from a rare disease to one of the most common and debilitating cancers worldwide. Lung cancer is also one of the most prevailing causes of mortality among the various types of cancers. Generally, treatment of lung cancer has improved over the years; however, patients continue to have poor prognoses, and this warrants the search for novel therapeutic agents. Preclinical research into lung cancer provides a framework for understanding the molecular pathways behind lung cancer initiation, progression, and drug resistance, which are essential in drug development. Using preclinical models in lung cancer such as cell cultures, genetically engineered mouse models, and patient-derived xenografts has greatly improved our understanding of the biology of lung cancer subtypes and the origin of these tumors. Emerging technologies such as the omics domain may prove useful in understanding the disease and finding suitable diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Indeed, these preclinical studies have improved our understanding of lung cancer and have aided in generating therapeutic interventions that have improved the management of lung cancer.