Mystery unraveled: How asbestos causes cancer
HMGB1 protein starts an inflammatory reaction that promotes tumor growth
More than 20 million people in the U.S., and many more worldwide, who have been exposed to asbestos are at risk of developing mesothelioma, a malignant cancer of the membranes that cover the lungs and abdomen that is resistant to current therapies. Moreover, asbestos exposure increases the risk of lung cancer among smokers. For the past 40 years researchers have tried to understand why asbestos causes cancer.
Possible vaccine for mesothelioma proven safe
March 3, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Contact: Keely Savoie
ksavoie@thoracic.org
212-315-8620
American Thoracic Society
Researchers have demonstrated the safety of a potential vaccine against mesothelioma, a rare cancer associated primarily with asbestos exposure. The vaccine, which infuses uses a patient’s own dendritic cells (DC) with antigen from the patient’s tumor, was able to induce a T-cell response against mesothelioma tumors.
New technique can help diagnose mesothelioma
A new technique may help clinicians hone in on a diagnosis in patients presenting with a pleural effusion of unknown cause.
The study, led by principal investigator Y.C. Gary Lee, Ph.D., appears in the September 1 issue of the American Thoracic Society‘s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
NEW MESOTHELIOMA TREATMENT APPROACHES
New approaches to treat malignant mesothelioma are currently being tested. They often combine traditional treatments or include something entirely new. They include:
Angiogenesis and Anti-angiogenesis Drugs
Fujirebio Diagnostics Receives FDA Approval for the MESOMARK® Assay for the Management of Mesothelioma Patients
January 26, 2007 by admin · Leave a Comment
MALVERN, Penn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc. (FDI) received approval from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) under the Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) program for the MESOMARK® Assay, the world’s first in-vitro test for mesothelioma, a form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Via a simple blood test, the MESOMARK test enables doctors to monitor patients diagnosed with biphasic or epithelioid mesothelioma.
