Goat Virus Proves Lethal to Mesothelioma Cells in Italian Study

mesothelioma cells

Researchers in Italy say a virus normally found in goats could offer a new, safer way to kill malignant mesothelioma cells and improve patient outcomes.  The virus is caprine herpesvirus 1 (CpHV-1). It has been blamed for bouts of spontaneous abortions in goat herds. But it does not appear to cause any disease in humans. In fact, previous studies show CpHV-1 can kill several types of human cancer cells.  The newest study of CpHV-1 was conducted at the National Cancer Institute IRCCS G. Pascale Foundation in Naples. Scientists there made two important discoveries. They found that not only can CpHV-1 kill mesothelioma cells without harming normal cells, but it might also have the potential to make chemotherapy work better.  Mesothelioma … Continue reading Goat Virus Proves Lethal to Mesothelioma Cells in Italian Study »

Combination Mesothelioma Therapy Begins Pivotal Trial

protein biomarker for mesothelioma

A combination mesothelioma therapy that showed promise in early trials is finally being studied on a larger scale. The power-packed chemo-immuno-gene therapy known as TR002 has the potential to change the outlook for thousands of malignant mesothelioma patients. A small trial of the combination mesothelioma therapy in 2016 produced “significantly higher” mesothelioma survival rates than most patients are told to expect. Drug company Trizell announced last month that the combination will now be tested on 300 patients at sites in the US, Europe, Australia and Russia. Combination Mesothelioma Therapy Starts with Gene Therapy TR002 is an investigational gene therapy for mesothelioma patients who have failed first-line chemotherapy. This combination mesothelioma therapy is based on the human interferon-alpha 2b gene. The … Continue reading Combination Mesothelioma Therapy Begins Pivotal Trial »

Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma May Work Better with TroVax

vaccine added to chemotherapy for mesothelioma

UK researchers say a cancer vaccine called Trovax has the potential to boost the power of chemotherapy for mesothelioma. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lung lining caused by asbestos exposure. It is very hard to treat. Even people who have chemotherapy for mesothelioma do not usually live more than two years after diagnosis. Mesothelioma researchers are always looking for ways to improve chemotherapy for mesothelioma. It is often combined with other treatments like surgery, radiation or immunotherapy. Now, scientists think adding TroVax to mesothelioma chemotherapy may be another good option. What is the TroVax Cancer Vaccine? The TroVax cancer vaccine is made by UK-based Oxford BioMedica. It contains an altered … Continue reading Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma May Work Better with TroVax »

Virotherapy for Mesothelioma Can Be More Effective

virotherapy for mesothelioma

Hong Kong researchers may have found a way to get around one of the biggest challenges of virotherapy for mesothelioma. Virotherapy uses a modified virus to deliver medicine or genetic information into the body. Modified viruses are useful because they can be “programmed” to seek out cancer cells. But modified viruses do not always behave the way scientists hope they will. One problem with some virotherapy for mesothelioma is that it can block the natural immune response. The body naturally fights malignant mesothelioma by releasing white blood cells called CTLs (T lymphocytes). But MVTT virotherapy can prevent the release of CTLs, even while it attacks the tumor. “Although MVTT [a type of virotherapy] leads to regression of established mesothelioma dose-dependently, … Continue reading Virotherapy for Mesothelioma Can Be More Effective »

Mayo Researchers Fight Mesothelioma with Measles Virus

The same virus that can make unvaccinated children come down with spots and fevers may provide the basis for a powerful new weapon against the intractable cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma. New research being conducted at the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic suggests that a strain of the measles virus called MV-Edm (the Edmonston strain) has the unique ability to not only target and kill lab-grown malignant mesothelioma cells, but to also spare normal cells, reducing the risk of treatment-related side effects. How MV-Edm Targets Mesothelioma Cells The ability of a therapy to selectively target cancer cells is the hallmark of a promising mesothelioma treatment. Current therapies, including the gold standard chemotherapy combination of pemetrexed and cisplatin, can cause … Continue reading Mayo Researchers Fight Mesothelioma with Measles Virus »

Altered Viruses May Help Boost Immunotherapy for Malignant Mesothelioma

Viruses may soon be playing a bigger role in the fight against malignant mesothelioma and other thoracic cancers. A pair of biologists from Minnesota say there is evidence that, in addition to killing mesothelioma cells directly, specific kinds of altered viruses might help make mesothelioma immunotherapy treatment more effective. How Does Immunotherapy Work? Like many other types of cancer, mesothelioma tumors are able to grow unchecked in part by “hiding” from the immune system. Immunotherapy relies on a variety of different substances that stimulate the immune system and allow it to recognize enemies such as mesothelioma cells. Immunotherapy is considered one of the most important and promising methods for fighting many types of cancer, including pleural mesothelioma. In some cases, immunotherapy … Continue reading Altered Viruses May Help Boost Immunotherapy for Malignant Mesothelioma »

Mesothelioma Treatment News: Novel Immunotherapy Drug Featured at International Symposium

A promising immunotherapy drug made from a deactivated cold virus has cleared another hurdle on its way to becoming a viable new treatment for malignant mesothelioma. Scientists with the Norway-based company that makes ONCOS-102 presented their most recent mesothelioma research data to colleagues at a symposium hosted by the International Society of Stem Cell Research and the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy in October. These data all appear to point to the fact that ONCOS-102 may offer a way to improve mesothelioma survival without making patients sicker. A New Approach to Mesothelioma Cancer ONCOS-102 is made from an altered human adenovirus, a class of viruses that cause most human respiratory illnesses. It is specially made to seek out and … Continue reading Mesothelioma Treatment News: Novel Immunotherapy Drug Featured at International Symposium »

Could Smallpox Vaccine Help Wipe Out Mesothelioma, Too?

There is new evidence that the active component in the vaccine that eradicated smallpox might one day be used to help do the same for malignant mesothelioma, a rare but universally lethal cancer Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute are using the vaccinia virus to help jumpstart the immune systems of mice to attack their own mesothelioma tumors. Sick mice given the treatment lived longer and developed stronger immune systems, suggesting that the method might enhance any new mesothelioma vaccine and give hope to thousands of people with few treatment options. Breaking Down Mesothelioma’s Defenses Malignant mesothelioma in all its forms is the one of the rarest and most difficult cancers to treat. In part, this is because mesothelioma cells, like many … Continue reading Could Smallpox Vaccine Help Wipe Out Mesothelioma, Too? »

Emerging Therapies Target Mesothelioma in New Ways

Targeted therapies may be the future of mesothelioma treatment. That word comes from a team of some of the world’s top mesothelioma researchers at the University of Hawaii and New York University. The group has just published a review detailing what is known about how mesothelioma develops – also called “pathogenesis” – and how that growing knowledge may help scientists develop more effective treatments. “Novel treatments are needed, as current treatment modalities may improve the quality of life, but have shown modest effects in improving overall survival,” writes Dr. Michele Carbone, corresponding author on the review and a top name in mesothelioma research. Dr. Harvey Pass, chief of the division of thoracic surgery at New York University’s Langone Medical Center … Continue reading Emerging Therapies Target Mesothelioma in New Ways »

Could a Virus-Delivered Gene Slow Mesothelioma Growth?

Researchers in Japan are enrolling mesothelioma patients into a trial to test whether blocking a growth signaling pathway inside mesothelioma cells could slow down this aggressive cancer or even stop its progression. The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-Met signal pathway is highly active in mesothelioma and many other types of cancer cells, telling them to grow and replicate quickly. In the lab, scientists have shown that the NK4 gene, which shares a molecular structure similar to HGF, can interrupt this signaling pathway and keep cancer cells from growing out of control. In a new study launched this summer by researchers at several Japanese universities, scientists will be testing a method of delivering NK4 to the site of mesothelioma tumors by administering a virus designed … Continue reading Could a Virus-Delivered Gene Slow Mesothelioma Growth? »

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