Mesothelioma Vaccine Aims to Stop Cancer Before It Begins

Dr. Pietro Bertino can envision a time when mesothelioma cancer no longer exists. He can see it through the work he does every day. Bertino is an assistant researcher in the Cell and Molecular Biology Department at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Bertino a three-year, $550,000 research grant to advance the development of a multiantigen mesothelioma vaccine aimed at prevention and therapeutics. His early work shows significant promise. “We are making progress. You can already see it,” Bertino told Asbestos.com. “It’s going to take time, but my thinking is that this may work. I can see it happening. It will be a huge step.” A ‘Different Kind of Intervention’ Bertino is focused on a preventative vaccine for people at high risk for mesothelioma, primarily those with long-term occupational exposure to asbestos and those genetically predisposed to developing the asbestos-related cancer. Mesothelioma is caused almost exclusively by the inhalation or ingestion of microscopic asbestos fibers that become lodged in the thin membrane surrounding the lungs or abdomen. Over time, the fibers cause scarring that can lead to serious health problems, including cancer. “This is a different kind of intervention,” Bertino said. “My final goal is to make a preventative vaccine and help perfect it. And if it works for mesothelioma, it could be effective in preventing other kinds of cancers, too.” Testi...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: bap1 gene mutation john a burns school of medicine mesothelioma grants mesothelioma research grant mesothelioma vaccine pietro bertino university of hawaii cancer center Source Type: news