San Pedro, CA - Aug. 3, 2007 - What if
you could beat back mesothelioma with a hot bath? That would
be too good to be true, and for now, it is. However, the
Pacific Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Los Angeles is
learning that high-temperature bathing of mesothelioma cells
may slow down or even stop their growth.
This photo shows mesothelioma cells from a mouse. The dark
concentrations indicate the presence of malignant
mesothelioma.
Eight days after being immersed in a 42-degree
Celsius bath, this close-up photo shows the mesothelioma
has been significantly reduced.
This current study is phase I of a project testing
hyperthermia with and without adjuvant therapy. The project
first seeks to compare a variety of individual therapies:
hyperthermia, COX-2 inhibition, and IL-4 toxin. Those
results will suggest which therapies can be combined for
maximum effectiveness in phase II. These combinations
provide hope that the current 1-2 year median survival for
mesothelioma patients can be significantly
increased.
According to Jessica Like, executive director of
PHLBI, "The long-range goal for this project is to
develop effective anti-tumor treatment strategies. Heat,
which is toxic for living cells, increases tumor
penetration for chemotherapy. Some clinical trials are in
the process of determining whether hyperthermia with
chemotherapy improves survival compared to chemo by itself.
"Although hyperthermia has been utilized in peritoneal
mesothelioma, it has not yet been applied to pleural
mesothelioma. We hope that it soon will be."
The important work being done at the
Institute includes plans for a study
that begins in October, testing the effectiveness of IL-4
toxins in conjunction with Celebrex to see if it will kill
or inhibit the induction of mesothelioma in lab
animals.
Click here to learn more about the
Institute, and here if you'd like to
make a donation to support PHLBI's research
activities.
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