A pair of enzymes promote non-small-cell lung cancer growth by inducing inflammation, a new study found, according to News Medical.

A team of researchers at the Salk Institute has found two therapeutic targets for the deadly type of lung cancer, non-small-cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs), which accounts for 85 percent of all lung cancer cases. They believe that the breakthrough discovery could pave the way for the development of new treatments for a majority of lung cancer patients.

Non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) has been linked to the mutation of the LKB1 gene. The LKB1 is a serine-threonine kinase known to be involved in various cellular processes such as energy sensing, cell polarity, and signal transduction.

Some patients with this type of cancer undergo targeted genetic therapies, while others benefit from immunotherapies. However, most of the patients with NSCLC have no other treatment option except for chemotherapy. The findings of the study, which was published in Cancer Discovery, can open the doors for developing new treatment approaches for patients.

“For the first time, we’ve found specific direct targets for LKB1 that prevent lung cancer and discovered - very unexpectedly - that inflammation plays a role in this tumor growth,” Prof. Reuben Shaw, director of the Salk Cancer Center, said in a statement.

He added that the knowledge and information provided by the study can help develop new treatment for a large number of lung cancer patients.