Virus May Help Fight Mesothelioma
A genetically engineered virus with the power to invade cancer cells may hold promise for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive tumor of the lining around the lungs, typically caused by exposure to asbestos. Because it rarely responds to conventional treatments, and because the number of patients contracting the disease is on the rise, scientists around the world are actively pursuing alternative treatments. Oncolytic viral therapy is one such treatment.
Oncolytic viruses are viruses that have the power to target and get inside tumor cells. Some of these viruses occur naturally, but most have been genetically engineered for tumor selectivity. By coding these targeted viruses with information that can disrupt cellular function, scientists have been able to successfully trigger ‘lysis' or cellular death in some laboratory tumor cell samples, as well as in animals.
Now, researchers from the U.S. and Austria are using these same types of cells to target malignant pleural mesothelioma tumors. In laboratory tests, the researchers successfully triggered remission of malignant pleural mesothelioma in animals by injecting them with a genetically modified virus called the Newcastle disease virus (NDV). One group of animals received a single dose of the virus. A second group received multiple doses over several days. The virus had been created to contain a green fluorescent protein, so that the testers could use bioluminescent tumor imaging to see how the virus affected the tumor cells.
In an article to appear in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapy, the researchers write, "In vivo studies with MSTO-211H* cells showed complete response to viral therapy in 65% of the animals within 14 days after treatment initiation. Long-term survival in all of these animals was >50 days after tumor installation." In contrast, the control group of animals who did not receive the viral therapy died in fewer than 23 days.
The animals with mesothelioma who had received multiple doses of the NDV showed a ‘significantly better response' than those who received a single dose. The experiment, carried out at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and the Medical University Vienna, is an important first-step in potentially using this viral agent to trigger the same response in human mesothelioma patients.
The teams conclude "NDV seems to be an efficient viral oncolytic agent in the therapy of malignant pleural mesothelioma in an orthotopic pleural mesothelioma tumor model."
Questions and Answers
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mesothelioma
Mesothelioma, cancer of the mesothelium, is a rare cancer taking too many lives today.
Mesothelioma is one of the rarest forms of cancer and it originates in mesothelium.
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Diagnosis of mesothelioma can change the entire life of patients and their families in a moment. A cure for mesothelioma has not yet been discovered.
Mesothelioma is a serious disease that is caused by exposure to asbestos and a very rare form of cancer.
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What every woman fears for is losing her self confidence , losing hope and losing her personality. The term "Breast Cancer" is a very negative word and that it creates negative vibrations in her heart. So, to make her comfortable with the basics of breast cancer and to make her means any woman understand that this type of cancer is the least dangerous than all cancers and that if it is detected early then you will fight with it successfully. Causes, Symptoms, treatment, discussed in detail.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that originates in the mesothelium. The mesothelium is the protective lining that covers the body's internal organs. Mesothelioma occurs when the mesothelium cells start to divide uncontrollably.
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Asbestos fibers are microscopic, though they are also quite durable. For this reason, asbestos was used in a number of different industrial compounds to enhance strength and resistance to temperature extremes- two properties at which the mineral is highly adept.
It has long been known that smoking is hazardous to one's health, causing a marked increase in instances of mesothelioma lung cancer among those who smoke regularly.
Exposure to asbestos particles is one of the principal causes of mesothelioma cancer, also known as asbestos cancer. As a naturally occurring mineral with useful commercial applications, asbestos is found in plumbing, insulation and other building materials and products.
There are several risk factors that increase the likelihood that a person will develop mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Information – Basics Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is usually caused by previous exposure to asbestos.

