Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world with 1.3 million new cases diagnosed every year. In the UK, it is the most common cause of death from cancer for both men and women, claiming over 36,000 lives each year. Lung cancer develops when cells become abnormal and grow out of control. This usually happens when there is damage to certain genes, which are important in controlling cell growth. The five-year survival rate of newly diagnosed lung cancer patients has not improved in the last ten years. This is partly due to a lack of understanding of the genetic changes that take place in lung cells that lead to cancer. A better understanding will help scientists to develop new ways to fight lung cancer.
Dr Tyson Sharp and his team at the University of Nottingham had previously identified a gene that is damaged in lung cells by cigarette smoke. This gene is called LIMD1. With this BLF grant, the team has investigated whether damage to this gene might lead to lung cancer.
The team used cutting edge laboratory techniques to examine samples of lung cancer cells taken from patients and found that the LIMD1 gene was indeed damaged in lung cancer cells, but not in non-cancerous tissue. They also showed that engineering cells devoid of the LIMD1 gene led to the development of lung cancer. This study demonstrates that a working version of the LIMD1 gene is essential to the health of lung tissue. It also illustrates that damage to the gene by factors such as cigarette smoke contributes to lung cancer.
This is very exciting news for several reasons. Firstly, detecting damage to the LIMD1 gene may be a new way to identify cancer much earlier, which means earlier treatment with more chance of success. Secondly, finding a way to replace a damaged version of the gene with a working one may be a new therapy for stopping the growth of lung cancer.
Dr Sharp is a Lecturer in Biochemistry at the University of Nottingham’s School of Biomedical Sciences.
Dr Sharp's work in the Netherlands, USA and the UK has focused on the biochemistry and genetics of lung cancer.
