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Professor Mark Krasnow, from Stanford University in the US, is delving into the early stages of lung cancer. His team has painstakingly mapped out how lungs develop in mice – a map that spans some 30 pages in the journal Nature. This has been crucial in finding specialised cells, called stem cells, that help the lungs develop, but also offers clues on the origins of lung cancer. The stem cells are vital in replacing old or injured cells. But if the signals telling them to multiply go wrong the cells can start growing out of control, leading to cancer. It’s fascinating stuff, but will it help diagnose or treat lung cancer? Krasnow believes so: “Spotting a cluster of the stem cells could be used diagnostically,” he said. And he believes the cells and their signals could also be an early ‘red flag’ pointing to the first stages of lung cancer and possible new ways to treat it.

See original article at: https://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2016/11/07/ncri-cancer-conference-2016-day-2-blood-tests-virus-treatments-preventing-cancer-and-more/