Duke research uncovers a new source of severe lung cancer, opening doors for groundbreaking treatments.

Duke Researchers Make Breakthrough in Understanding Lung Cancer

A recent study from researchers at Duke University has significantly changed our understanding of one of the most lethal types of lung cancer.

This Wednesday, the team published findings indicating that small cell lung cancer (SCLC) likely originates in basal stem-like cells instead of specialized lung cells known as neuroendocrine cells.

The research indicates that basal cells can lead to tumors in both the traditional neuroendocrine form and a tuft-like variant.

According to the study’s senior author, Trudy G. Oliver, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke University School of Medicine, “This discovery reshapes our understanding of how small cell lung cancer begins.”

The tuft-like variant is associated with poor patient outcomes and resistance to current treatments. This new insight might enable researchers to devise strategies to combat the disease before it overwhelms the immune system and spreads.

“Our models, for the first time, reflect the full complexity of the disease, allowing us to study and target its most dangerous forms,” Oliver noted.

Utilizing genetically modified mice, 3D tumor organoids, and an extensive dataset of human SCLC tumors, the researchers found that tuft-like tumors emerged when genetic alterations occurred in basal cells rather than neuroendocrine cells.

Abbie S. Ireland, the study’s first author and a graduate student in Duke’s Molecular Cancer Biology program, explained, “We used a technique called lineage barcoding that allowed us to tag individual cells and track how they evolve over time.”

She pointed out that the study illustrates how small cell lung cancer cells can undergo changes or “shapeshift” through a process termed “fate plasticity,” which might shed light on why the disease is resistant to treatment and could lead to new strategies for preventing its progression to aggressive cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, SCLC accounts for about 10 to 15% of all lung cancers, with around 30,000 new cases diagnosed annually.

Regarded for its rapid growth, the cancer often spreads to other body parts before detection. The ACS notes that the 5-year survival rate for SCLC is below 10%, owing to its aggressive nature.

Oliver stated that this discovery paves the way for scientists to examine how the immune system interacts with these basal cells prior to their transformation into aggressive cancer.