Researchers Find Potential New Target for Mesothelioma Treatment

An international research team has identified a novel molecular target with potential to significantly improve future treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. The recent findings could lead to a drug that targets key genetic inhibitors often preventing a patient’s own immune system from suppressing mesothelioma tumor growth. Dr. Antonio Giordano, part of the collaborative research team, said the goal is reducing mesothelioma mortality with a combinational therapy that includes this new target. “These findings help us define molecular mechanisms that may be key to mesothelioma aggressiveness and progression,” Giordano told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “Knowing which pathways to target will help us improve treatments and patient survival. This is the starting point.” Giordano, pathologist and geneticist, is the founder and director of the Sbarro Health Research Organization at Temple University in Philadelphia. He also is an internationally renowned professor of pathology at the University of Siena in Italy. Oncologist Dr. Raffaella Pippa at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, and Dr. Silvia Boffo at the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research are co-authors of the study. The Journal of Cellular Physiology published the findings in December. Clinical Trials Are Next Step Giordano believes the recent findings will lead to future clinical trials, where a new treatment combination for mesothelioma may be developed. Mesothelioma is a rare and aggres...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news