An international research team have identified a molecule which may help to control or slow down the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The molecule, microRNA, is found to be common within a gene often found in asbestos mesothelioma tumours.
Malignant mesothelioma cells contain a protein biomarker called mesothelin. This biomarker is found in several other forms of cancers as well. It is believed that mesothelin can be a determiner in how quickly the mesothelioma metastasizes.
The researchers based at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, found that the molecule helped to lower levels of mesothelin. This important finding can also become a key component for gene therapy treatments. These treatments target the cancer at the molecular level, thereby leading to manipulation of the genes.
Whilst this molecule has been directly linked for the purposes of mesothelioma treatment, it has been noted to be a marker for several other types of cancer. Mesothelin itself is found in larger quantities in pancreatic cancers, mesotheliomas, colorectal, ovarian and non-small cell lung cancers.
The study provides information as to how the mesothelin regulates the proliferation of cells. However, it does not provide information as to how the mechanisms for the genes over proliferation in malignant mesothelioma tumours happen.
This study does not provide any breakthroughs in relation to curing mesothelioma but it helps to provide further evidence for consultants to obtain an early diagnosis in the future. The key to providing longer survival rates of mesothelioma is an early diagnosis, mainly as there are more treatment options at the early stage of this condition.
After a very long latency period mesothelioma cells spread rapidly. As a result of this, and the delay in most diagnoses of mesothelioma, surgery and other potential treatments are no longer possible. If earlier diagnoses could be made, with the help of the above research, greater treatment options would be available to mesothelioma patients.
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Sources:
De Santi, C. et al. (2017, January 26). Identification of MiR-21-5p as a Functional Regulator of Mesothelin Expression Using MicroRNA Capture Affinity Coupled with Next Generation Sequencing. Retrieved from http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0170999
Lopes-Ramos, C. et al. (2014, November 28). Overexpression of miR-21-5p as a predictive marker for complete tumor regression to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer patients. Retrieved from https://bmcmedgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12920-014-0068-7
Raffit, H. et al. (2007, December 19). Preclinical evaluation of MORAb-009, a chimeric antibody targeting tumor-associated mesothelin. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5760880_Preclinical_evaluation_of_MORAb-009_a_chimeric_antibody_targeting_tumor-associated_mesothelin