MIT researchers found that blocking caspase-1, an enzyme linked to lung inflammation, can reduce lung tumor development in mice. Using nanosensors to track enzyme activity, the team found that caspase-1 was especially active in developing tumors and was also elevated in lung-fluid samples from cancer patients.

When researchers treated high-risk mice with a caspase-1 inhibitor, tumors were smaller and less numerous. Combining the inhibitor with an IL-1 beta blocker produced an even stronger effect, with nearly 20% of the mice avoiding tumors altogether.

Source: MIT

The findings point to a potential “cancer interception” strategy—using preventive drugs before cancer fully develops in people at high risk. Because caspase-1 inhibitors have already undergone human testing for other diseases, the researchers hope to explore their potential for lung cancer prevention in clinical trials.