An exciting new research study from Australia reports a promising new way to possibly wipe out mesothelioma tumors. The experimental treatment successfully eliminated mesothelioma tumors in laboratory mice, according to the study published in the Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research.
To produce these favorable results, the scientists employed not one, not two but three tumor-fighting drugs all at the same time by mixing them together to create a potent anti-mesothelioma “cocktail.” It proved to be a winning combination.
In the summary of their findings, the University of Western Australia (UWA) scientists highlight what they term the “successful eradication of the established tumors by the triple immunotherapy cocktail” and label their results as “impressive.”
The researchers from the UWA School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine developed a plan that used three antibodies designed to “turn off” the production of specific proteins associated with cancer.
To do this, they selected a combination of three drugs that target immune system proteins. The drugs, anti-CD25, anti- TGF-β, and anti-CTLA-4, were administered to mice with mesothelioma producing the reported favorable results.
“A timed triple immunotherapy protocol produced complete clearance of established AB1 murine mesothelioma tumors,” stated Shruti Krishnan, lead author of the study.
The full set of experiments performed suggests that the mesothelioma treatment combo was equally effective in eliminating mesothelioma tumors as giving each antibody drug one at a time.
A high rate of mesothelioma has made Australia active in this area of research. Australia was one of the biggest users of asbestos in the world up until the mid-1980s, according to the Australian government’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency. Approximately one third of all homes built in Australia contain asbestos products. This widespread use of asbestos has left a deadly legacy. More than 10,000 people in Australia have died from mesothelioma since the early 1980s.
At Mesothelioma Circle, we report on the most significant research developments that seem to move the science of mesothelioma closer to a cure. But each promising research finding is just one step along a winding path. A significant next step for this finding would be to safely test it on humans. We continue to track new clinical trials through the U.S. National Cancer Institute and post those in need of people with mesothelioma to participate. We hope sometime soon this promising new way to treat mesothelioma tumors will make it to that next experimental level and you can get a chance to try it.