Submitted by Catherine Atkins on Tue, 26/05/2026 - 13:51
Cambridge scientists hunting tell-tale killer ‘zombie’ cells that signal early lung cancer have pioneered a world-first urine test that could transform diagnosis and survival for thousands of patients.
As published in Nature Aging, the trailblazing team – funded by Cancer Research UK – has shown that this simple and affordable test could detect the earliest signs of lung cancer months, or even years, before symptoms appear, as well as monitor whether treatment is working and identify potential relapse.
It works by identifying the presence of senescent cells in the lungs – so called “zombie cells” – that stop dividing but linger and release abnormal inflammatory signals that damage surrounding tissue and help create an environment that lowers the body’s ability to fight the cancer.
The study published and led by Professor Ljiljana Fruk and Professor Daniel Muñoz-Espín at the University of Cambridge, marks a major leap towards more precise therapy and a test for early cancer and treatment efficiency that could be rolled out across the NHS one day.
Lung cancer is the UK’s most common cause of cancer death* taking the lives of around 32,800 people every year. This landmark breakthrough could save and improve thousands of lives in the future and Cancer Research UK is calling on supporters to help power more progress like this by donating to vital research.
Thanks to huge strides in prevention, detection and treatment, in the UK, lung cancer has seen a 22% reduction in death rates in the last decade.
And around 2 in 3 people (65%) with lung cancer in England survive their disease for five years or more when diagnosed at the earliest stage. But when diagnosed at the latest stage, this falls to 5 in 100 (5%).
This stark statistic is the driving force behind the team of scientists from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and the Early Cancer Institute at the University of Cambridge, along with the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Thoracic Cancer Programme, which has developed the new technology. Together, they have created an injectable sensor that interacts with proteins released by senescent cells. When these proteins are present, the sensor triggers the release of a detectable compound that appears in urine – signalling the earliest biological signs of therapy resistance and lung cancer development.
The researchers say that early identification is critical to saving more lives, as the disease often relapses silently with few or no symptoms until it has already spread. By detecting signs of lung cancer development and therapy resistance early, their simple urine test can spot lung cancer and treatment resistance early, helping doctors to tailor and adapt the treatment to the patient and start that treatment earlier when it works best.
The team confirmed their results using real patient samples and large genetic datasets.
Professor Fruk said: “The sensor has not yet been tested in humans, next is the clinical trials and it is likely it will take few years to bring it to patients, but it is a first big step and it could one day used easily in GP surgeries and Hospitals to help detect recurrence in this hard-to-treat cancer much earlier.”
Nearly half (46%) of lung cancers in England are diagnosed at the latest stage.
Professor Fruk, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology added: “This work is an excellent example of collaborative team effort coming together and interdisciplinary research supported by Cancer Research UK resulting in an innovative way of detecting early signs of lung cancer. The team has already adapted the probe for detection of lung fibrosis and we are currently fundraising to adapt it for other types of cancer.”
This study included the Co-Directors of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Thoracic Cancer Programme and a collaboration with Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, a specialist heart and lung hospital.
Professor Daniel Munoz-Espin, Early Cancer Institute and co-lead for the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Thoracic Cancer Programme, said: “Our previous studies showed that senescent cells in response to chemotherapy can cause treatment resistance and an aggressive lung cancer relapse. We also found that senescent immune system cells promote lung cancer development by causing immunosuppression. Our urine nano sensor may allow primary care detection of therapy resistance and lung cancer early development in future clinical settings.”
Professor Robert Rintoul of the Department of Oncology, and co-lead for the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Thoracic Cancer Programme said: “Novel approaches for lung cancer detection and response to treatment are urgently needed to improve patient outcomes. This work forms the basis for testing within clinical trials with a view to future use in the clinic.”
Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, Cancer Research UK has helped double cancer survival in the UK over the past 50 years.
The charity’s spokesperson for the East of England, Patrick Keely, said: “With new technologies opening doors to new discoveries, we’re living in a golden age of research, which is powerfully underlined by this innovative new urine test to detect early lung cancer.
“But with nearly 1 in 2 people set to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, there’s so much more to do. Cancer Research UK is the world’s largest charitable funder of cancer research. More support right now could fuel faster progress than ever before and help more people live longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer. Together, we can power the next wave of breakthroughs.”
Reference: Hartono, M., Ge, J., Denholm, M. et al. Urinary detection of therapy-induced senescence and fibrosis using an injectable albumin-based nanoprobe. Nat Aging (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-026-01116-z