Physicists have created the world’s first urine test that could indicate the first signs of possible lung cancer.
Many cases of lung cancer are diagnosed later, making the disease more difficult to treat. But researchers hope that early detection could mean patients get treatment sooner, giving them a better chance of beating the disease.
The pioneering test looks at the so-called “zombie” immune cells that a patient has in the first stage of lung cancer. It has been successfully tested by mice and scientists hope to start quickly.
Physicists at the University of Cambridge and Early Cancer The institute looked at secreting proteins from aging cells. These cells are often called “zombie cells” because they live in the body but cannot grow and divide.
Cells cause tissue damage by reprogramming their immediate environment to help promote the emergence of cancer cells.
Now, scientists have developed an injectable sensor that interacts with zombie cell proteins and releases an easily detectable compound into the urine that signals their presence.
Prof Ljiljana Fruk said: “We know that before cancer emerges there are changes in the tissues affected. One of the changes is the accumulation of damaged cells that are not sufficiently damaged to be removed, but are sufficient to send signals that reprogram the tissue and contribute to the development of cancer.
“We identified a specific protein released by these cells in the lung tissue and placed a probe cut into two parts to present it. The probe consists of two parts, and the smaller one is released through the kidneys into the urine.
Once in the urine, this part of the probe is too small to be detected, but can be revealed by adding a piece of silver to the solution – the same silver compound used in photography in the early days of analog imaging.
“By observing the color of the urine after the injection of the sample, we can tell if there are cells in the lung, which would indicate the first signs of pathological changes that could lead to cancer.”
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She added: “We really wanted to develop a urine test that could help doctors identify early signs of cancer – potentially months or even years before noticeable symptoms appear.”
Scientists behind the study, funded by Cancer Research UK, said they are keen to find a test that is cheaper than expensive scans.
Lung cancer is the world’s leading cause of cancer death, with approximately 1.8 million deaths each year. Survival rates in those with advanced forms of the disease, where the tumors have grown, are particularly poor.