UP Study Identifies Potential Biomarkers for Early Lung Cancer Detection

By Eunice Jean C. Patron

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with nearly 2 million deaths. In the Philippines in 2022, it recorded 23,728 new cases—making it the second most common cancer after breast cancer—and caused 20,953 deaths, the highest among all cancer types. Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for more than 80% of cases. Experts say that late diagnosis and challenges in treating late-stage cases are the main factors affecting the cancer mortality rate, including NSCLC.

Biomarkers, which are essential measurable indicators in lung cancer management, help identify lung cancer subtypes, guide treatment options, and predict outcomes. The lack of biomarkers that can be used to detect NSCLC, and lung cancer as a whole, prompted scientists from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) to identify potential biomarkers for lung cancer, specifically NSCLC lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

To address this challenge, Dr. Baby Rorielyn Dimayacyac-Esleta, Ferdinand Mira, Lara Beatrice Suñga, Venus Pondevida from the UPD-CS Institute of Chemistry (IC); Lorenzo Zarate, Ben Joshua Porras, Dave Laurence Juntilla, and Dr. Eloise Prieto of the UPD-CS National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB); and Dr. Sullian Naval, Dr. Treah May Sayo, and Dr. Herdee Gloriane Luna of the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) conducted a quantitative proteomics analysis to examine total protein levels in tumor and adjacent normal tissue specimens from early-stage Filipino NSCLC LUAD patients, identifying 4,403 proteins with irregular expression in tumors.

The identified proteins are linked to cancer and play an important role in protein translation, carbohydrate metabolism, and the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway. According to the research, disrupting these functions may drive NSCLC progression.

A total of 33 proteins were identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers. “These proteins have aberrant expression in both gene and protein levels, and their gene levels are correlated with poor 5-year survival rate of NSCLC patients,” Dr. Esleta explained, noting that these proteins were previously detected in tissues and/or in the blood plasma of NSCLC patients, highlighting their potential for clinical use.

The proteins that the team identified can now be prioritized for qualification, verification, and validation in the biomarker development pipeline. During the qualification phase, a large collection of specimens will be analyzed using a targeted proteomics technique. “These proteins can be tested for possible application in the diagnosis of NSCLC to complement existing diagnostic methods such chest radiography, low dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan, and bronchoscopic examination, and significantly enhance the accuracy and sensitivity of detection,” Dr. Esleta added.

Dr. Esleta and her team are currently working on the establishment of the targeted proteomics pipeline in IC’s Clinical Proteomics Laboratory to have the capacity of continuing the goal of providing diagnostic protein biomarkers in the clinic.

Their research paper, titled “Discovery of Key Candidate Protein Biomarkers in Early-Stage Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma through Quantitative Proteomics,” is now included in the Journal of Proteome Research, a publication which reports on global protein analysis and function, including genomics, spatio-temporal proteomics, metabonomics and metabolomics, and clinical proteomics. Their work was supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD).

References:

Dimayacyac-Esleta, B. R., Mira, F. D., Zarate, L. M., Porras, B. J., Juntilla, D. L., Suñga, L. B., Pondevida, V. B., Naval, S. S., Sayo, T. M., Luna, H. G., & Prieto, E. I. (2025). Discovery of key candidate protein biomarkers in early-stage Nonsmall cell lung carcinoma through quantitative Proteomics. Journal of Proteome Research. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jproteome.4c00764

Ferlay, J., Ervik, M., Lam, F., Laversanne, M., Colombet, M., Mery, L., Piñeros, M., Znaor, A., Soerjomataram, I., & Bray, F. (2024). Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer. Retrieved from https://gco.iarc.who.int/today

Majeed, U., Manochakian, R., Zhao, Y., & Lou, Y. (2021). Targeted therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: Current advances and future trends. Journal of Hematology & Oncology, 14(1).