TIMP-1 protein levels in both tissues and blood have been repeatedly associated with a poor prognosis in lung cancers, but its role has been unknown. Now, a study led by Jordi Alcaraz, lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the UB and researcher at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), has determined that this protein is not only a good biomarker, but is also involved in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma. These results, published in the journal Matrix Biology, open the door to the design of new treatments against this disease.