Tag Archives: gene

KRAS Gene Shows Promise for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Treatments

KRAS Gene with Promising Future for Mesothelioma Treatment

A new KRAS gene pathway may contribute to future precision medicine treatment for mesothelioma. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is caused by asbestos inhalation. It is a rare, incurable cancer of the mesothelial cells lining the lungs and the chest wall. This form of mesothelioma occurs after asbestos exposure in people with a genetic mutation. The mutation is represented by patients with an inherited cancer syndrome. These patients typically have an even worse prognosis than other mesothelioma patients. A mutation of the KRAS gene may play a role in mesothelioma. A more complex genetic picture may also help explain why some asbestos-exposed workers get the disease and some do not. Discovery of a DNA Gene Mutation Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare … Continue reading KRAS Gene Shows Promise for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Treatments »

Spotting the BAP1 Gene Mutation in Mesothelioma Patients

BAP1 gene mutation

New guidelines may make it easier to tell which mesothelioma patients contracted the disease because of a BAP1 gene mutation. The knowledge could have an impact on mesothelioma treatment planning. BAP1 stands for BRCA associated protein-1. People who have an inherited BAP1 gene mutation face a higher risk for several conditions, including malignant mesothelioma.  Very few mesothelioma patients have the mutation and gene testing is not routine. So researchers at a top US cancer center have developed a set of screening criteria. The criteria may help predict which mesothelioma patients could benefit from genetic testing. Testing for the Altered Gene Mesothelioma is just one of the conditions associated with the inherited BAP1 gene mutation. People with this condition are also … Continue reading Spotting the BAP1 Gene Mutation in Mesothelioma Patients »

New Research Reveals Gene Signature for Mesothelioma

gene signature for mesothelioma

Researchers in China say they have come up with a three-gene signature for mesothelioma. The gene signature may help doctors determine mesothelioma prognosis and plan treatment. Pleural mesothelioma is challenging to diagnose and even harder to treat. Many patients do not receive a diagnosis until the disease is in an advanced stage. The new study finds that the gene signature for mesothelioma is “significantly associated”  with overall survival in people with the pleural variety. Testing a Gene Signature for Mesothelioma Genes play an important role in the development and progression of cancers like mesothelioma. The Chinese researchers started by searching for other studies on  mesothelioma prognosis and genes. “The lack of relevant search results indicated that no gene prognostic signatures … Continue reading New Research Reveals Gene Signature for Mesothelioma »

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? »

Genes Key to Mesothelioma Chemotherapy Response

Genes Key to Mesothelioma Chemotherapy Response

Research being performed in Eastern Europe may eventually help doctors around the world predict which mesothelioma patients will respond best to a particular type of chemotherapy. Mesothelioma is a fast-growing cancer triggered by exposure to asbestos.  It is often treated with multiple modalities, including chemotherapy.  As more is understood about the impact of genetics on medication response, chemotherapy for cancers like mesothelioma is moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach to a more tailored approach based on individual cellular characteristics. Now, a team of biochemists in Slovenia are studying genetically-linked responses to the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine, a nucleoside analog that some studies have found to be a promising alternative to the more conventional cisplatin-pemetrexed combination for mesothelioma.  In a phase II trial involving 78 mesothelioma … Continue reading Genes Key to Mesothelioma Chemotherapy Response »