14-Protein Blood Signature Predicts Lung Cancer Risk Years Before Diagnosis

Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and University College London have discovered a blood protein signature consisting of 14 proteins that can forecast lung cancer risk over five years prior to diagnosis. This research, featured in Cell, utilized machine learning techniques on data from 48,000 participants in the UK Biobank. The identified signature indicates an inflammatory condition in the lungs associated with a newly recognized cell type known as KAC cells. In mouse studies, inhibiting the inflammatory molecule IL-1β led to a decrease in KAC cells and decelerated tumor growth. A reexamination of the CANTOS trial revealed that patients exhibiting a high signature who received canakinumab experienced almost a 50% reduction in lung cancer risk. This test may be accessible to high-risk individuals within two years. This research builds upon the TRACERx project, spearheaded by Prof Charles Swanton, who has recently been elected a Fellow of the Science Museum Group.