According to research recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, new steps are being taken toward a more complete understanding of mesothelioma.
One of the more confusing aspects of the disease lies in the fact that asbestos exposure seems to both kill cells and cause the growth of malignant tumors – reactions that appear mutually exclusive seeing as dead cells can’t multiply. A group of scientists and researchers at the University of Hawaii believe they’ve uncovered some important details about this phenomena, details that could lead to new treatments with more research and development.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused almost exclusively by exposure to asbestos fibers. One of the curiosities of the disease is what’s referred to as its “latency period”, that is, the long amount of time that passes between exposure to asbestos fibers and the development of malignant tumors. In many cases this latency period can be as long as thirty to even fifty years.
Mesothelioma’s latency period has been a source of particular frustration and difficulty for a variety of reasons. In addition to obscuring the connection between the mineral and the disease, a phenomena which allowed asbestos companies to contaminate workplaces unchecked for decades, the latency period also complicates diagnosis. Many patients don’t associate mesothelioma’s general ailment, flu like symptoms with workplace asbestos exposure which took place decades in their past.
The research team in Hawaii has uncovered a connection between two of mesothelioma’s odd traits: the fact that it somehow kills cells and encourages tumor growth simultaneously, and the fact that it takes decades to present malignant growths.
Their research has shown that asbestos kills cells through a process known as programmed cell necrosis, a process which leads to the release of a particular protein called HMGB1. The released HMGB1 protein causes an inflammatory reaction in surrounding tissues, which in turn releases mutagens that eventually leads to tumor growth. The researchers believe that if the release of HMGB1 and the resulting tissue inflammation could be controlled or prevented, the release of mutagens would not be triggered and malignant tumors may never develop.
A clinical trial will be conducted in Cappadocia, Turkey, an area highly affected by asbestos exposure, to gain more insight on their findings and further develop their approach. If the results of the trial are encouraging, further tests and additional time could lead to the development of new treatment methods for mesothelioma.