AUTHOR=Yang Haitang , Liang Shun-Qing , Schmid Ralph A. , Peng Ren-Wang 

TITLE=New Horizons in KRAS-Mutant Lung Cancer: Dawn After Darkness

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2019.00953

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2019.00953

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most frequent oncogenic mutation in western countries is <italic>KRAS</italic>, for which, however, there remains no clinically approved targeted therapies. Recent progress on high biological heterogeneity including diverse <italic>KRAS</italic> point mutations, varying dependence on mutant <italic>KRAS</italic>, wide spectrum of other co-occurring genetic alterations, as well as distinct cellular status across the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), has not only deepened our understanding about the pathobiology of <italic>KRAS</italic>-mutant NSCLC but also brought about unprecedented new hopes for precision treatment of patients. In this review, we provide an update on the most recent advances in <italic>KRAS</italic>-mutant lung cancer, with a focus on mechanistic insights into tumor heterogeneity, the potential clinic implications and new therapies on horizons tailored for <italic>KRAS</italic>-mutant lung cancer.</p>