Mesothelioma Cancer Resources Blog

Sigma Life Sciences, a biotechnology company that offers products for all disciplines of life science research from antibodies to animal models, has announced that they have added new genetically modified cancer cells to their range of high-quality cell lines.  They expect that their human knockout and knock-in oncology cell lines will “offer researchers cellular models …

by Nancy Meredith For a doctor, management of the issues surrounding a patient’s diagnosis of mesothelioma, or any other incurable cancer, requires careful recordkeeping, meticulous review of tests and constant monitoring of the patient’s health.  According to a 2007 breakthrough study conducted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), physicians should also monitor the social and …

by Nancy Meredith Being diagnosed with cancer, such as mesothelioma or lung cancer, is overwhelming and often devastating to many of the patients.  Not only is the disease physically challenging, but it can also take a toll on the patients’ and their families’ emotional well-being.   The average survival time for mesothelioma, a serious cancer that …

The Pacific Meso Center (PMC) at The Pacific Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (PHLBI), a non-profit institution focused on the treatment and prevention of malignant pleural mesothelioma, will help sponsor a UCLA Seminar on Lung-Sparing Therapies for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.  The first scientific seminar featuring cancer treatments that preserve the victims’ lungs will be held …

Researchers at Thomas Jefferson Hospital’s Kimmel Cancer Center report that they have found genetic evidence that antioxidant drugs currently used to treat lung disease and the common cold can also be beneficial for treating cancers.  Antioxidants fight mitochondrial oxidative stress which has been shown to drive tumor growth.  Stopping tumor growth and preventing metastasis in …

Personalized medicine follows the concept that a patient’s specific characteristics, such as height, weight, gender, age, physical condition and especially their genetic makeup, can be used to tailor their medical care.  Personalized medicine is becoming more favored within the medical community, but one study shows that one aspect of personalized care that may be overlooked …

The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) is once again hosting the Biotech/Life Science Conference in North Carolina where early-stage, small, drug-development companies get an opportunity to network with some of the pharmaceutical giants in the industry.   GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Pfizer and AstraZeneca, as well as many other biotech heavyweights, will meet one-on-one with small companies vying …

by Nancy Meredith Anyone that watched the last three nights of “Jeopardy!” should be left in awe at the brain power exhibited by previous million-dollar champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter.  Although, in the end, they could not compete with the brilliance and speed of their opponent, Watson — a supercomputer made up of 90 …

The deadline to apply for research grants from the American Thoracic Society (ATS) is March 15, 2011.  Researchers can apply for unrestricted grant support or specific partnership grants for research in targeted areas, as well as for a 2011 MECOR Research Award which provides small seed funds to the graduates of the ATS MECOR program.  …

Exposure to asbestos is the direct cause of multiple diseases including mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer – with mesothelioma perhaps the most tragic.  Mesothelioma is a rare, incurable cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of the body’s internal organs, the mesothelium.  Asbestos is a carcinogen, which means that …