Treatment targets for lung cancer ‘identified through screening strategy’

Gene faults in tumour cells that may be possible drug targets for the most common form of cancer have been identified thanks to a new screening strategy.

Scientists from Cancer Research UK's Paterson Institute for Cancer Research at the University of Manchester discovered three key gene faults that cause the production of overactive proteins and send signals to cells to make them grow uncontrollably.

The team looked at six different non-small cell lung cancer cell lines that they grew in their laboratory – each carrying at least 60 gene faults – and switched off the faulty genes to see whether or not this prevented the cells from growing.

Dr John Brognard of the institute, who led the study, said the findings provide "a new approach that can be personalised to an individual patient's tumour and can identify in real time potential drug targets".

Professor Richard Marais, director of the institute, noted the research should help to speed up the introduction of personalised medicine for lung cancer patients.