New Study Finds Pineapple-Based Enzyme May Enhance Mesothelioma Medication’s Effect

Scientific research continues to find new breakthroughs in the quest for more effective mesothelioma medication.  At present there are relatively few mesothelioma medications that have FDA approval so it is crucial that research pushes forward to find more mesothelioma medication options. But in order to win FDA approval any new mesothelioma medication will have to be proven to be both safe and effective. That’s important.

An intriguing new one that just made moved up a notch in the approval race is bromelain, a compound that comes from pineapples.

A successful laboratory experiment by scientists in Australia showed that bromelain when teamed with the mesothelioma medication cisplatin made it possible for cisplatin to work more effectively.  The two became a dynamic duo, as if bromelain was Robin to cisplatin’s Batman.

Basically, bromelain goes after an evil protein called MUC-1. Found in several mesothelioma cell lines, MUC-1 causes tumors to metastasize and resist the effects of chemotherapy drugs. The researchers reported that bromelain triggered the death and breakdown of these mesothelioma cell lines and made cisplatin more effective.  The platinum-based drug cisplatin is one of the most widely used drug treatment for mesothelioma.

The scientists conclude that “Bromelain has the potential of being developed as a therapeutic agent in malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.”[1]

Additional good news is that this is the second successful study on bromelain from this group of scientists. Now the next step needed is a clinical trial in humans before bromelain can officially become part of mesothelioma medication treatments.

More good news.  This lab study report was published in the medical journal AntiCancer Drugs, with an abstract published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s website PubMed, which is part of the National Institutes of Health – our nation’s medical authority  would not be misled by any flakey supplement claims.

Be aware that doctors discourage mesothelioma patients from attempting to self-medicate with supplements. Also note that any supplement may have the potential to interfere with mesothelioma medications.  As for pineapple itself, whether fresh or canned, it doesn’t contain high enough concentrations of bromelain to be effective but certainly can be refreshing and a source of healthful nutrients.