Could Iron Removal Stave Off Mesothelioma?
Scientists have long known that exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma, but the jury is still out as to exactly why this happens. It is known that the shape of asbestos fibers makes them more likely to lodge deep in tissue, causing chronic irritation. But some have speculated that the high iron content of asbestos – particularly chrysotile asbestos – may also play a key role in triggering mesothelioma. A new study published in the Journal of Pathology appears to support the iron overload/mesothelioma connection. Japanese scientists studied the effects of three commercially used types of asbestos – chrysotile, crocidolite and amosite – in laboratory rats. Of the three asbestos types, chrysotile brought on mesothelioma the fastest and iron overload…