An immunogenetic basis for lung cancer risk. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38386728/)

These scientists wanted to understand why some people are more likely to get lung cancer than others. They studied how our body's immune system, which helps fight off diseases, can affect the risk of getting lung cancer. They looked at a large group of people in the UK and Finland to see if having certain genetic differences in a specific part of our immune system called the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) can make a difference.

They found that people who had some specific genetic differences in the HLA were less likely to get lung cancer, especially if they were smokers. They also saw that smoking can change the types of cells in our lungs and affect how our immune system works. In people with lung cancer, they noticed that certain genetic changes in the HLA could make it easier for the cancer to grow.

Overall, this study showed that our genetic differences in our immune system can play a big role in our risk of getting lung cancer. This discovery can help scientists find new ways to prevent and treat lung cancer in the future.

Krishna C., Tervi A., Saffern M., Wilson EA., Yoo SK., Mars N., Roudko V., Cho BA., Jones SE., Vaninov N., Selvan ME., Gumus ZH., Lenz TL., Merad M., Boffetta P., Martinez-Jimenez F., Ollila HM., Samstein RM., Chowell D. An immunogenetic basis for lung cancer risk. Science. 2024 Feb 23;383(6685):eadi3808. doi: 10.1126/science.adi3808. Epub 2024 Feb 23.