A recent study in the Molecular Cancer Therapeutics journal has detailed a promising new target for treating mesothelioma called mesothelin.
This protein, which is found on the surface of cells, might also help doctors diagnose certain cancers. Mesothelin is only found in small amounts in cells lining the lungs, abdominal cavity, and heart in healthy people, but the protein is produced in higher amounts by mesothelioma, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers.
Researchers are focusing on specialized antibodies that attack mesothelin while bypassing normal cells. Several research teams are already conducing studies using mouse and combination mouse-human antibodies against mesothelin, but there is a concern that patients’ immune systems might recognize animal antibodies as foreign and mistakenly attack them.
In addition to its potential use in cancer treatment, mesothelin is also being investigated as a diagnostic marker. Workers who have been exposed to asbestos show high levels of mesothelin in their blood years before they are formally diagnosed with mesothelioma.
0 comments:
Post a Comment