A groundbreaking urine test for lung cancer could be rolled out across the NHS within five years, offering a vital new tool for early diagnosis of the deadly disease.
Currently, most lung cancer cases in England are identified at advanced stages, significantly complicating treatment and reducing survival chances.
The innovative test, developed by scientists funded by Cancer Research UK, identifies specific “zombie” cell proteins that signal the presence of early-stage lung cancer.
This breakthrough could enable detection months or even years before symptoms manifest. Researchers have now cleared a significant hurdle, bringing the test closer to clinical application.
Professor Ljiljana Fruk from the University of Cambridge expressed optimism, stating her hope to see the 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.”
While further research is ongoing, the simple urine analysis holds the potential to revolutionise early detection, becoming a routine screening method in GP surgeries and hospitals.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and the Early Cancer Institute, along with the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Thoracic Cancer Programme and in collaboration with Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, looked at proteins excreted by senescent cells.
These cells are often referred to as “zombie cells” because they are alive in the body but are unable to grow and divide.
The cells cause tissue damage by reprogramming their immediate environment to help promote the emergence of cancer cells.
Now, scientists have developed a sensor that is injected which interacts with zombie cell proteins and releases an easily detectable compound into urine, which signals their presence.
Writing in the journal Nature Ageing, researchers described how the biomarker was validated in human tissue by using real patient samples and large genetic datasets.
And researchers found the urine sensor may also work for detecting other lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis.
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.”
She 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, from the Early Cancer Institute and 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.”
Professor Robert Rintoul of the Department of Oncology, and co-lead for the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Thoracic Cancer Programme, added: “Novel approaches for lung cancer detection and response to treatment are urgently needed to improve patient outcomes.
“This work forms the basis for testing within clinical trials with a view to future use in the clinic.”
Cancer Research UK’s spokesman for the east of England, Patrick Keely, 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.”
