We recently found this Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC) News report, “‘Ray of hope’ for sufferers of asbestos disease mesothelioma”, which indicates there may be a new treatment for future mesothelioma victims. From this November 2013 report:
A new treatment for the asbestos-related disease, mesothelioma, is offering a ray of hope to victims of the deadly cancer, researchers say.
The Asbestos Diseases Research Institute in Sydney has published the results of laboratory testing of a novel genetic treatment in the international Journal Oncology.
The treatment uses bacterial mini cells which have no genetic information to carry messenger cells, or micro RNA, into mesothelioma tumours.
The mini cells are protected with a coating of anti-bodies that protect them on the way to the target.
Scientists say it appears to be halting the growth of cancer in animals.
“Over the course of the experiment, which was about a month in duration, we found that the tumours didn’t increase in size at all,” said senior researcher Doctor Glen Reid.
Dr Reid says low levels of micro RNAs in mesothelioma cells could be contributing to the rapid growth of the cancer.
“We find that the growth of the tumours is strongly repressed,” he said.
“So this is quite an exciting discovery, that micro RNA’s themselves can inhibit the growth of a tumour in an animal.”
This ABC news article goes on to point out that, as you may know, unfortunately peopled diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma “are given an average life expectancy of one year, and current treatments only extend that to 15 months”.
Lastly, Dr. Reid said as regards the progress of this possible new mesothelioma treatment, “the whole testing process could take four or more years”.
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