Role of EGFR in the Proliferation of Human Lung Cancer Cells

Abstract

The EGFR gene directs the formation of epidermal growth factor receptor proteins, which causes rapid cellular reproduction when activated and can lead to cancer. A mutant form of the EGFR gene is being inserted along with a sequence for puromycin resistance into a plasmid for expression in two lines of lung cancer cells. The plasmid will be introduced into the cells using lipofectamine transfection reagent to assess transient expression and cell viability when combined with chemotherapy treatments. Cotreatment with mutant EGFR and chemotherapeutics in cancer cells will ideally aid in understanding the role of this mutation in drug resistant tumors.