Could Red Wine Enhance Effectiveness of Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma?

Researchers in South Korea have uncovered an unusual synergy between a chemical found in red wine and a drug used to treat childhood leukemia that has translated into a potential future treatment options for malignant mesothelioma. The combination of resveratrol, which comes from the skin of red grapes, and the drug clofarabine, has shown an ability to make mesothelioma cells much more vulnerable to chemotherapy. Researchers found the resveratrol/clofarabine combination prevented tumor cell proliferation and triggered programmed cell death. It also left healthy cells untouched. "I think that our results showed therapeutic potential in overcoming chemo-resistance against malignant mesothelioma," researcher Sang-Han Lee, biochemistry professor in the College of Medicine at Soonchunhyang University, told Asbestos.com. "We have been struggling to find effective therapeutic agents for mesothelioma. I hope our dream [of finding one] comes true sooner rather than later." Not So Fast Says Researcher Lee was quick to caution against too much optimism, emphasizing the findings were in vitro, and a long way from even reaching the clinical trial stage where it can reach the actual patients who need it quickly. "Further studies are needed," Lee said. "A lot of drugs have been demonstrated to be effective in in vitro study, and most of them fail in preclinical animal testing for a number of reasons. We still need time and efforts for the development of an effective systemic treatment regim...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Treatment & Doctors Source Type: news