Major breakthrough against lung cancer! Scientists discover a way to shrink tumors by up to 80%

News Topical, Digital Desk : For millions of people battling lung cancer, the world of science has brought significant and comforting news. Scientists have discovered a method that can eliminate lung tumors by targeting their most vulnerable site. During this research, they identified a crucial protein that prevents cancer cells from dying. Researchers say that if the activity of this specific protein is inhibited, cancer cells will self-destruct and the tumor will shrink.

Scientists discovered the biggest weakness

Researchers have recently discovered a key vulnerability in lung cancer—a protein that, when inhibited, causes cancer cells to self-destruct. This discovery not only opens new avenues for treatment but could also prove life-saving for many patients who, until now, have had limited options.

Cancer cells used to escape 'self-destruction'

Scientists at NYC Langone Health in the US have long been trying to understand why some cancer cells evade the body's defenses and continue to grow. During this research, they identified a specific protein called FSP1.

This protein prevents cancer cells from undergoing a specific type of cell death called ferroptosis. Ferroptosis is the process by which the body self-destructs cells under extreme stress. This process is normally part of the body's defense system, but cancer cells evade it and continue to grow.

What happened when FSP1 was stopped?

Researchers experimented with mice that blocked the FSP1 protein. The results were so surprising that scientists are calling them "dramatic."

• Tumors in the lungs of mice began to shrink rapidly
• Many cancer cells begin to destroy themselves.
• Overall tumor size decreased by approximately 80%

These results suggest that by inactivating FSP1, cancer cells have no escape route and are trapped in the process of ferroptosis and begin to die.

Why is this research important?

Cancers like lung adenocarcinoma are often difficult to treat because the cells resist standard treatments. But finding a vulnerability that allows the cancer to self-destruct could completely change the course of treatment.

This research suggests that drugs targeting FSP1 could become an important part of cancer therapy in the future. Importantly, this approach exploits a natural weakness of cancer: the body's own cell-destruction process is activated.

Will the fight against cancer get a new direction?

Although this research is still in its early stages and the experiments have been conducted on mice, scientists believe that if the same principle is safely applied to human treatment, it could provide a new direction in the fight against lung cancer.

Researchers are now trying to understand how effective and safe drugs that block FSP1 would be in humans. If successful, this could be a revolutionary step for cancer patients in the coming years.

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