Mesothelioma Research

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently issued a warning regarding the mineral erionite. The NIOSH warning says that erionite, which occurs in many parts of the Western United States, can produce airborne fibers similar to the asbestos fibers that can trigger mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. Erionite is found in gravel pits and in the gravel that is used to surface roads. It can become airborne once it is disturbed. A 2011 study was conducted on individuals who may have had high erionite exposures in North Dakota. Two road maintenance more...It’s long been suspected that a person’s genetics play a role in determining susceptibility to the development of mesothelioma following exposure to asbestos fibers. The suspicion caused the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund research that would discover this genetic link. As of August, 2011, the specific gene mutation was not only found, but identified to also trigger other types of cancer. The culprit is the gene, BAP1. Not a very creative name, is it? Why not name genes after Greek gods and goddesses rather than assigning them boring codes made more...Because mesothelioma is typically diagnosed at an advanced stage when treatment options are limited, scientists at Somalogic Inc. set out to find ways to detect it at an earlier stage. The goal of early diagnosis is that patients with mesothelioma might be able to enjoy a better quality of life as the fight the illness. Dr. Rachel Ostroff, a clinical research director of Somalogic Inc. presented her initial results of this ongoing study at the Fourth AACR International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development. Her results indicated that with the use of aptamer-based proteomics array technology, biomarkers more...In honor of National Mesothelioma Awareness Day, we’re launching a three-part blog series highlighting the newest scientific research regarding mesothelioma. New science has emerged in the last two years that may have significant implications for the future treatment of malignant mesothelioma. In this series, we will look at three important scientific breakthroughs that have the largest potential to affect the future of mesothelioma treatment. In early 2010, results of a study were published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine that proved the safety of a possible vaccine for mesothelioma. In more...A new study financed by a section of the National Institutes of Health has made the first potential connection to an individual’s genetics and susceptibility to eventually developing deadly asbestos illnesses such as mesothelioma. The study, which was recently published online in Nature Genetics, found evidence that people with BAP1 gene mutations may have an increased chance of developing multiple cancer types such as mesothelioma, breast, ovarian, pancreatic and renal cancers. The study highlighted two U.S. families with members who have the BAP1 gene mutation. Both families also have “a high incidence of mesothelioma.” more...