Immunotherapy’s Impact on the Mesothelioma Immune System
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Immunotherapy’s Impact on the Mesothelioma Immune System

ByHolly Zink

The battle against mesothelioma has seen significant developments in recent years. Many developments are with the introduction of immunotherapy as a treatment option. This cancer, caused by asbestos exposure, has been an enduring puzzle due to its rarity and lengthy latency period. Brazilian researchers studied the complex relationship between mesothelin and the immune system. The findings provide fresh insights into how mesothelin influences cancer aggressiveness. And it has a few implications for patient treatment decisions. The Mesothelioma Puzzle Mesothelioma is a tough-to-treat cancer linked to asbestos exposure. It has long challenged doctors and scientists because it is so rare and takes decades for symptoms to appear. In the last decade, a special kind of treatment called immunotherapy has been used…

Discovering the Link to Mesothelioma Growth
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Discovering the Link to Mesothelioma Growth

ByHolly Zink

Italian researchers have found that a molecule called cycle adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is involved in the growth of mesothelioma. cAMP acts as a messenger in our cells and affects different processes in the body. When the cAMP pathway is too active, it can contribute to the growth and spread of tumors. In this study, researchers looked at the levels of cAMP in mesothelioma tumors caused by toxic fibers like asbestos. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that grows on the lining of internal organs like the lungs and abdomen. It is caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is toxic to humans. Mesothelioma is a rare disease, so we do not know very much about how…

Gene Targeting Slows Aggressive Form of Pleural Mesothelioma
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Gene Targeting Slows Aggressive Form of Pleural Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Scientists in Vienna are developing a new treatment for a particularly aggressive form of pleural mesothelioma.  This form of mesothelioma occurs in people with a genetic mutation. The mutation produces signals that fuel tumor growth. These patients typically have an even worse prognosis than other mesothelioma patients.  But the Austrian team came up with a way to block activation of the mutated gene. If the gene does not send its signal, this aggressive form of pleural mesothelioma may grow more slowly.  Aggression Fueled by Telomerase Malignant mesothelioma is one of the most aggressive kinds of cancer. It starts on the membranes around organs and can quickly spread to other parts of the body. By the time most people notice symptoms,…

Mesothelioma Risk is Rarely Outlived
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Mesothelioma Risk is Rarely Outlived

ByAlex Strauss

If you have been exposed to asbestos, whether at work or in the home, you may never outlive your risk of developing malignant mesothelioma. That unsettling finding comes from a recently-published medical stud conducted by researchers in Australia and Italy. Mesothelioma has a particularly long latency period, meaning it is not uncommon for it to take decades for this aggressive cancer to develop. To determine if asbestos-exposed individuals can ever consider themselves out of danger, the researchers compiled and analyzed data from eight separate previous studies on the relationship between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma development. Six of the studies focused on people with occupational exposure to the deadly toxin and the remaining two included people with residential asbestos exposure. Among…