Researchers develop gene-based lung cancer diagnostics

Researchers at the University of Toledo in the USA say they have identified 15 genes that could serve as predictors of lung cancer. The team, which was led by James Willey, developed a diagnostic test that detects the activity of the genes in question, specifically monitoring a drop in the level of messenger transcription that is indicative of increased cancer risk.

Dr Willey's group, which presented its findings at the American Association for Cancer Research's international conference in Atlanta, Georgia, was able to correctly identify samples taken from cancer sufferers 96% of the time. The work was based on the results from previous studies which suggested that sub-optimal regulation of genes involved in protecting the lungs against damage, either caused by environmental factors or cigarette smoke, was linked to disease development.

Dr Willey said that the aim of the project had been to develop "new techniques that will allow us to pick out the 10% - 15% of smokers at higher risk of cancer." He added that the results so far justify further development of the approach and a prospective study to determine if mRNA transcript abundance will serve as a useful biomarker in cancer risk prediction.