Researchers in the Schools of Medicine and Engineering at Vanderbilt University have discovered a proteomic “signature” from the airways of heavy smokers that could lead to better risk assessment and perhaps new ways to stop lung cancer before it starts.

Specific interactions between inflammatory cells and epithelial cells contribute to lung fibrosis, according to a study published last week in JCI Insight fromVanderbilt’s Lisa Young, M.D., associate professor of Pediatrics and Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology, and colleagues.