Immunotherapy May Improve Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
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Immunotherapy May Improve Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A treatment designed to inhibit a cell protein called CTLA-4 may improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy for mesothelioma. Chemotherapy is considered a front-line treatment for mesothelioma, although it is only moderately effective.  Because mesothelioma is a highly aggressive cancer of the mesothelium, chemotherapy is often used as part of a multimodality therapeutic approach. Increasingly, immunotherapy, which involves manipulation of the genes and immune system, is also part of the treatment approach. CTLA-4 is the name for both a protein and the gene that is responsible for producing it.  A recent published study tested the theory that knocking down cellular production of the CTLA-4 protein could slow tumor growth and stimulate the immune system between rounds of chemotherapy. To test the…

Cell Protein Linked to Mesothelioma Survival
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Cell Protein Linked to Mesothelioma Survival

ByAlex Strauss

A protein imbedded in the outer wall of their cells appears to have an impact on survival for mesothelioma patients. That’s the conclusion of researchers with a French mesothelioma study panel known as MESOPATH.  After examining 157 cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma, the group found that a protein called c-mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-MET) could be correlated with survival in more than 75% of them. C-MET is one of many regulatory proteins found both inside and on the outer membrane of cells.  It is responsible for helping direct critical cell functions such as growth, survival, migration and invasion. But it has also been found to be overexpressed and mutated in a variety of malignancies. When the MESOPATH researchers tested mesothelioma cell samples,…

Cell Proteins May Predict Mesothelioma Prognosis
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Cell Proteins May Predict Mesothelioma Prognosis

ByAlex Strauss

A cell protein devoted to regulating water transport and another related to DNA replication could be important keys to improved mesothelioma prognosis. The American Cancer Society has released the results of a study on the relationship between a protein known as Aquaporin 1 (AQP1), which regulates water movement through the cell membrane, and treatment effectiveness for patients with mesothelioma.  At the same time, an international research team has also found a correlation between mesothelioma prognosis and the expression of the protein TIF-2. Both of these new studies represent a relatively new approach to the treatment of mesothelioma, one focused on manipulating the complex inner workings of cells.  The Australian research teams that conducted the multi-center AQP1 study examined the AQP1 levels…