Scientists at University of Cambridge say the NHS could roll out the urine test within five years to detect lung cancers a significant time before symptoms start
A urine test for lung cancer could be rolled out on the NHS in just five years, experts say.
The test being developed identifies so-called zombie cells which indicate the early signs of cancer months or even years before symptoms start, which is generally when patients are diagnosed at the moment. Cambridge University and Royal Papworth Hospital have tested it on human urine samples to try to tackle the most common cause of cancer death in the UK.
Lung cancer claims around 33,000 lives a year in the UK – or 90 every day – largely because most cases are diagnosed in the later stages making it harder to treat.
Professor Ljiljana Fruk, from University of Cambridge, said she hopes to see the simple test “working in real patients and rolled out across the NHS within the next five years, making a real difference to people at risk of this devastating disease”.
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Scientists used large human genetic datasets to investigate senescent cells linked to lung cancer development. These are known as “zombie cells” because they are damaged so that they permanently stop dividing but refuse to die.
They linger in tissues, evade the immune system, and release harmful chemicals that trigger inflammation and damage nearby healthy cells.
Cambridge researchers identified a protein produced by zombie cells and developed a “sensor” which, once injected, interacts with the protein to release a detectable compound into urine, which signals their presence.
Prof Fruk said: “The sensor has not yet been tested in humans, next is the clinical trials and it is likely it will take few years to bring it to patients, but it is a first big step and it could one day be used easily in GP surgeries and hospitals to help detect recurrence in this hard-to-treat cancer much earlier.”
Patrick Keely, spokesman for Cancer Research UK, which funded the research, said: “With new technologies opening doors to new discoveries, we’re living in a golden age of research, which is powerfully underlined by this innovative new urine test to detect early lung cancer.”
Writing in the journal Nature Ageing, researchers described how the biomarker was validated in human tissue by using real patient samples. The researchers found the urine sensor may also work for detecting cancers or other lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis.
Prof Fruk added: “The team has already adapted the probe for detection of lung fibrosis and we are currently fundraising to adapt it for other types of cancer.”
Professor Daniel Munoz-Espin, co-lead for the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Thoracic Cancer Programme, said: “Our previous studies showed that senescent cells in response to chemotherapy can cause treatment resistance and an aggressive lung cancer relapse.
“We also found that senescent immune system cells promote lung cancer development by causing immunosuppression. Our urine nano sensor may allow primary care detection of therapy resistance and lung cancer early development in future clinical settings.”
