New understanding of deadliest form of lung cancer

Published: 30 January 2001

Scientists funded by The Cancer Research Campaign have uncovered one of the reasons why lung cancer is so deadly.The discovery, by Dr Nicol Keith's team at the University of Glasgow, should help in the design of drugs to combat the disease.

Scientists funded by The Cancer Research Campaign have uncovered one of the reasons why lung cancer is so deadly.The discovery, made by Dr Nicol Keith's team at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research at the University of Glasgow, should help in the design of new drugs to combat Britain's biggest killer cancer.

The news coincides with the launch of The Cancer Research Campaign's Lung Cancer Awareness Month this January, which is highlighting the need for better treatments for the disease.

The Campaign team looked at small cell lung cancer, which is the most serious form of the disease and accounts for a quarter of all cases.

Small cell lung cancers are particularly aggressive and difficult to treat. Like most cancers, they are caused by cells dividing out of control and becoming "immortal" - unlike normal cells which die after their allotted life-span.

Now the scientists have made a key step forward by working out why small cell lung cancer cells divide so often, and how they become immortal.

Dr Keith says: "We're delighted that we are at last making progress in the fight against this disease.

"Now that we know one of the mechanisms that makes these cancer cells divide so quickly, we can develop new drugs to block its effect.

"These drugs could be available in as little as 3-5 years, improving the prospects for lung cancer patients."

The scientists think that a molecule called telomerase, which is known to encourage cells to divide, plays a crucial role in the development of small cell lung cancers.

They found that in 98% of these cancers, the telomerase gene, called hTERC, was switched on. When they looked at less aggressive forms of lung cancer, they found that only 59% had a switched-on telomerase gene. Only switched-on genes have any effect on the way that cells work.

The researchers also discovered that some lung cancers have very high amounts of the telomerase molecule.

Knowing whether tumours have a switched-on gene, and how many telomerase molecules they possess, is vital if drugs are to be designed to block the molecule's effects.

Telomerase acts like a security pass, giving the all-clear for cells to keep on dividing, and allowing them to become immortal.

The scientists are now looking at exactly how cancer cells are switching on their telomerase gene to give them the all-clear to divide.

And they are trying to discover what makes small cell lung cancers so likely to have the telomerase gene switched on. If scientists could stop cells from gaining large amounts of telomerase, they might be able to prevent cancer from developing.

Prof Gordon McVie, Director General of The Cancer Research Campaign, says: "Dr Keith's work is exciting because while we've made giant strides in treating many common cancers, lung cancer has continued to be a massive problem.

"The Campaign has made some candidate drugs to target telomerase, so this new research on the biggest killer cancer in the UK is timely.

"It shows our commitment to beating the disease which we have dubbed the 'invisible cancer'," Prof McVie adds.

Lung cancer is one of the least talked about and least funded major cancers, despite being the most common cancer in the UK. The Cancer Research Campaign believes this is something that must change if more lives are to be saved from the disease.

There are around 40,000 new cases of lung cancer each year and 10,000 cases of small cell lung cancer.

Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)


For media enquiries contact Angela Kilday on 0131 311 4808, Email akilday@crc.org.uk or out-of-hours on 07713 687200 or Dr Nicol Keith - Email: n.keith@beatson.gla.ac.uk or the University Press Office 0141 330 3535 .

First published: 30 January 2001

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