In a study funded by the National Cancer Institute and the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, several researchers from around the world have potentially found how the naturally occurring mineral asbestos causes cancer.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer almost exclusively triggered by asbestos exposure. The specific way of how mesothelioma develops has eluded doctors and researchers for decades. Similar to other asbestos-related diseases, mesothelioma has a severe latency period in terms of the development of symptoms. In most cases, patients with mesothelioma will not experience symptoms until at least 20 years have passed since their initial exposure to asbestos. During this latency period, a number of biological reactions occur to stimulate the development of mesothelioma cancer.
Researchers analyzed how asbestos fibres, which kill cells, could cause cancer since a dead cell should not be able to develop into a tumour. They learned that asbestos kills a cell through a process called "programmed cell necrosis." This process causes the release of a molecule known as high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1). The presence of HMGB1 starts an inflammatory reaction that causes tumour growth.
Researchers found that those who have been exposed to asbestos have elevated levels of HMGB1 in their serum. Because of this, they believe HMGB1 may become a target in treating patients with malignant mesothelioma. The researchers propose that interfering with the inflammatory reaction between asbestos and HMGB1 may decrease the risk of cancer development among those exposed to asbestos. For patients already diagnosed with mesothelioma, this interference may slow tumor progression.
Authors of the study report, "Our findings identify the release of HMGB1 as a critical initial step in the pathogenesis of asbestos-related disease, and provide mechanistic links between asbestos-induced cell death, chronic inflammation, and carcinogenesis. Chemopreventive approaches aimed at inhibiting the chronic inflammatory response, and especially blocking HMGB1, may decrease the risk of malignant mesothelioma among asbestos-exposed cohorts."
Drs. Haining Yang and Michele Carbone, lead authors of the study and physicians at the University of Hawaii Cancer Research Centre, plan to test their research through a clinical trial in Cappadocia, Turkey. In this region, more than 50 percent of the population dies from mesothelioma cancer. If positive results are reported, the treatment approach will be extended to clinical trials in the United States with hopes of improving mesothelioma life expectancy.
The results of the study illuminate the role of inflammation in causing different types of cancer. The press release from the University of Hawai'i explains, "The researchers question if it will be possible to prevent mesothelioma, like colon cancer, simply by taking aspirin or similar drugs that stop inflammation. They are about to test this hypothesis."
Additional information on mesothelioma and current forms of treatment may be found through Asbestos.com which published this report.
Sirius
Contributing blogger
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