Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe and non-small cell lung cancer cell.
Photo Credit: The University of Queensland
Scientific Frontline: Extended "At a Glance" Summary: Blood-Based Proteomic Profiling for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
The Core Concept: A novel diagnostic blood test that analyzes thousands of proteins to predict how patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will respond to treatments like immunotherapy before therapy begins.
Key Distinction/Mechanism: Unlike traditional, highly invasive tissue biopsies, this method utilizes advanced protein measurement and statistical modeling on standard blood samples to identify biological signals directly linked to treatment response and potential disease relapse.
Major Frameworks/Components:
- Proteomic Analysis: The measurement of thousands of distinct proteins within a patient's blood sample.
- Statistical Modeling: The application of computational algorithms to translate complex protein data into predictive clinical signals.
- Longitudinal Tracking: The assessment of blood samples taken both before and after surgery and immunotherapy to monitor how protein levels fluctuate over time.
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Pathology: Focused research on the most common and deadly form of lung cancer.
Branch of Science: Oncology, Precision Medicine, Proteomics, and Biostatistics.
Future Application: The technology aims to establish non-invasive, routine clinical monitoring for early warning of cancer recurrence and to match patients with the most effective therapies upon diagnosis. Researchers are also exploring the application of this blood-testing method for other types of cancers.
Why It Matters: Lung cancer causes more deaths globally than any other cancer, and modern immunotherapies can cost up to half a million dollars annually per patient. By accurately predicting treatment efficacy, this test eliminates trial-and-error prescribing, saves critical healthcare resources, and spares patients from unnecessary side effects and invasive repeat biopsies.
Researchers have found that a single blood test could help doctors predict how patients with lung cancer will respond to treatment before therapy begins.
Research led by the University of Queensland (UQ) focused on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)—the most common form of the disease—and demonstrated how analyzing proteins in a blood sample could support earlier, better-informed treatment decisions.
Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe of UQ’s Frazer Institute said the approach could change how treatment decisions are made.
“This is a step toward truly personalized lung cancer care,” Dr. Kulasinghe said. “At the moment, clinicians often have to make treatment decisions without a clear picture of how a patient will respond. What we’re showing is that information already exists in the blood.”
The researchers analyzed blood samples from patients with NSCLC at Princess Alexandra Hospital before and after surgery and immunotherapy to track how protein levels changed over time. Using advanced technology, the team measured thousands of proteins and applied statistical modeling to identify signals linked to treatment response and disease progression.
“If we can tell from a blood sample who is most likely to relapse or who will respond to immunotherapy, we can match patients to the right treatment sooner,” Dr. Kulasinghe said.
Lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer, and immunotherapy can cost patients up to half a million dollars a year. The findings were validated using an independent testing platform.
Dr. Aaron Kilgallon of the Queensland Spatial Biology Center, a collaboration between UQ and the Wesley Research Institute, said the clinical implications were significant.
“Blood-based monitoring would be far less invasive than repeat biopsies and could give us earlier warning of recurrence,” he said. “That’s a meaningful shift for patients.”
While further research is needed before clinical use, the team is exploring whether the method can be applied to other cancers.
“We want to use a patient’s own biology to guide treatment decisions at diagnosis,” Dr. Kulasinghe said.
Funding: The study was supported by UQ’s Frazer Institute, the Queensland Spatial Biology Center (Wesley Research Institute), the Harding Family Fellowship, SurgeCare, Cure Cancer, and the PA Research Foundation.
Published in journal: npj Precision Oncology
Authors: Vahid Yaghoubi Naei, Aaron Kilgallon, Gwendoline Mendes, Akila Wijerathna-Yapa, Sanjay Dutta, Clara Lawler, Connor O’Leary, William Mullally, James Monkman, James Mansfield, Julien Hedou, Mark N. Adams, Ken O’Byrne, Majid E. Warkiani, and Arutha Kulasinghe
Source/Credit: University of Queensland
Edited by: Scientific Frontline
Reference Number: ongy052726_01
