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  • Home > Mesothelioma Treatment: Study Explores the Trigger Mechanism for Asbestos-Related Cancers

Mesothelioma Treatment: Study Explores the Trigger Mechanism for Asbestos-Related Cancers

The puzzle of how asbestos kills cells and yet paradoxically spurs growth of cancerous tumors has perplexed scientists for decades. A group of scientists led by researchers at the University of Hawaii believe they have unraveled the mechanism.

Their research may provide new tools to identify people at risk of developing mesothelioma and prevent or slow tumor growth in people already diagnosed with the asbestos-related disease.

Thousands of Americans have been exposed to asbestos and are at risk of developing malignant mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people die of the cancer each year in the United States and tens of thousands more die worldwide. Mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many standard cancer treatments, and there are no known cures. In addition, exposure to airborne asbestos fibers raises the risks that smokers will develop lung cancer.

But the long latency period of 30 to 50 years from asbestos exposure to the appearance of tumors may offer a window of opportunity to block the trigger mechanism that causes asbestos-related cancer.

People often unknowingly inhale microscopic asbestos fibers at workplaces and the fibers can permanently lodge in the lung, causing inflammation. Most human cells exposed to asbestos die within 24 to 48 hours. Dead cells should not be able to multiply and form tumors. So how do cancerous tumors eventually form?

In a May 2010 article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers describe how asbestos kills cells through a process called programmed cell necrosis that leads to the release of a molecule called mobility group box 1 protein or HMGB1. The protein begins an inflammatory chain reaction in tissue that causes the release of mutagens that promote tumor growth. Cancer often occurs in the presence of chronic inflammation.

Asbestos exposure leads to elevated levels of HMGB1 in the blood, the researchers note. In the study, people with a history of asbestos exposure had HMGB1 levels that were more than four times higher than those of healthy people who had not been exposed.

The researchers say that mesothelial cell death and the release of HMGB1 act as triggers in a mechanism that leads to asbestos-related cancers.

Based on that, the researchers suggest it may be possible eventually to target HMGB1 to treat mesothelioma and identify groups of people who have been exposed to asbestos by simple bloods tests to measure HMGB1 levels. By interfering with the inflammatory reaction prompted by asbestos, the researchers say it may be possible to decrease the occurrence of the disease and reduce the rate of tumor growth among people already diagnosed with mesothelioma.

In the future, therapeutic approaches aimed at blocking chronic inflammation and in particular the protein HMGB1 could reduce the risk of malignant mesothelioma among workers exposed to asbestos.

To test the theory, the lead researchers, Drs. Haining Yang and Michele Carbone of the University of Hawaii, plan to conduct a clinical trial in Cappadocia, Turkey, where more than 50 percent of the population of two rural villages die of the asbestos cancer from exposure to mineral fibers used in building materials. If the trial produces positive results, the researchers plan to try a similar approach on groups of people exposed to asbestos in the U.S.

Contact Belluck & Fox

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma from asbestos exposure on-the-job or due to an asbestos removal project, you may be eligible to file a claim or a lawsuit, or be involved in a class action lawsuit, for compensation from the companies responsible for your asbestos contamination and cancer.  The lawyers at Belluck & Fox pride themselves on their commitment and support to you when investigating your case. From the initial meeting, we will explain your legal options and start our research and investigation of your claims, and we will continue to represent you throughout every phase of litigation, through your settlement.