Category: Featured News
BAP1 Gene Research Opens Door to Mesothelioma Clinical Trial
For years, Michele Carbone, MD, PhD, and a team of researchers from the University of Hawaii Cancer Center have focused their mesothelioma research on the BAP1 gene. The researchers suspected that mutations of the BAP1 gene, which is involved in tumor suppression, might underlie mesothelioma in people with a strong family history of the disease. Now, in a recent study, the team has uncovered the mechanism behind the gene and what makes people with it more susceptible to developing cancers from environmental carcinogens, such as asbestos.
The researchers found that the BRCA1-associated protein 1, or BAP1, regulates a channel (IP3R3) inside cells that moves calcium. When the BAP1 gene is damaged, calcium levels decrease leaving the cells more apt to become malignant after environmental carcinogen exposure, according to June 14 press release from the University of Hawaii Cancer Center.
The study also led to the discovery in mouse models that this same effect left the cancer cells resistant to chemotherapy. Mesothelioma cells have an uncanny ability to fight off even the most toxic anti-cancer agents, allowing the cancer cells to spread and thrive.
Mesothelioma, a cancer caused by past asbestos exposure, is diagnosed in nearly 3,000 Americans each year. These people are faced with a long road of ups and downs after a seemingly successful cycle of chemotherapy ultimately fails and the cancer returns. Due to the aggressiveness of the cancer and its resistance to treatments, mesothelioma oncologists then turn to another chemotherapy to again attempt to quash the cancer.
Once the UH researchers found the “why” behind BAP1 the team turned to finding the “how” to fix the channel that can effectively lead to apoptosis, or death of the cancer cells, when treated with chemotherapy or other anti-cancer therapies. Once BAP1 levels are restored and the calcium channels are stabilized, treating cancer patients with the BAP1 mutation, and potentially preventing cancer in the first place, is feasible, according to the report. A clinical trial is in the works to test the findings.
“We want to prevent and treat cancer in as many people as possible,” said Dr. Carbone. “We hope to start a clinical trial, within five years or less, to test the susceptibility to chemotherapy in patients with BAP1 mutated tumors.”
Carbone notes that close to 20 percent of all cancers have BAP1 mutations, including 70 percent of mesothelioma cases and 90 percent of eye melanomas.
According to the National Institutes of Health, clinical trials are at the heart of all medical advances. Clinical trials serve to uncover better ways to treat, prevent, diagnose and understand human diseases. They provide mesothelioma researchers with critical information needed to allow them to move their findings from the lab to patients. They also offer patients access to a treatment that might not otherwise be available.
“I very much hope that our discovery will help save many lives,” said Angela Bononi, co-author of the study and post-doctoral fellow in Carbone’s lab.
Find the full study in the June 22, 2017 issue of Nature.
Know more about Mesothelioma and how you can deal with it.
Solution to “Tumor Growth Paradox” May Lead to New Approach in Treating Mesothelioma
New research has shown that while for years scientists have been trying to find a treatment for cancer that forces cancer cell death, they may have been unknowingly encouraging the cancer cells to spread instead. In a new study, researchers found that by targeting resolvins this “tumor growth paradox” may be resolved. This finding may lead to a new approach in treating cancer, including Mesothelioma.
Researchers from the Institute of Systems Biology (ISB) in Seattle, Washington, report that when cancer cells are killed off “cellular debris” is left behind that can lead to an inflammatory response from the immune system, according to a Dec. 1 article in Medical News Today. The inflammation can actually put the immune system into overdrive where it is roped into stimulating more cancer cell growth.
Lead researcher Dr. Sui Huang believes researchers need to look beyond simply finding the best, fastest way to kill cancer cells, according to a press release from ISB announcing the findings. Using an analogy of comparing attacking cancer cells with military generals fighting the enemy, Dr. Huang said, “What politicians and military leaders have long learned, cancer research is now realizing: Look beyond just making killing more efficient. This new vista may open ample new opportunities for gentler, less toxic non-killing – but effective – anti-cancer drugs.”
The research focused on using resolvins, or natural compounds that stop inflammation, to clear out the debris left behind by the cells. Building on previous research that showed resolvin prompted immune cells “to eat up the dead cell debris” the team speculated resolvin would be effective when used to fight cancer. Using mouse models they found that when mice carrying “debris-induced tumors” were treated with resolvin it “drastically blocked growth of mouse tumors that chemotherapy failed to inhibit.” They concluded that combining chemotherapy with resolvin “showed maximal effect in animal tumors treated with standard drugs.”
Successfully halting cancer growth is critical for increasing survival in all cancer patients, and especially in mesothelioma patients who have a grim prognosis. Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer caused by past asbestos exposure that is notorious for fighting off even the most seasoned cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation.
“These results demonstrate that enhancing endogenous clearance of tumor cell debris is a new therapeutic target that may complement cytotoxic cancer therapies,” the researchers concluded.
Each year, nearly 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma. There is no known cure for the disease.
Read the study in the Nov. 30 issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Sources:
- Journal of Experimental Medicine
http://jem.rupress.org/content/early/2017/11/29/jem.20170681 - (Researchers from the Institute of Systems Biology) ISB
https://www.systemsbiology.org/news/2017/11/30/cancer-debris - Medical News Today
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/313580.php
Mesothelioma Patients and Their Caregivers Benefit From Yoga
According to the National Cancer Society, exercise is an important part of cancer treatment and recovery. Exercise can help patients feel better physically, improve their appetite, loosen stiffened joints, as well as improve their mood. While many mesothelioma patients do not have the stamina or strength to walk, yoga can offer these same benefits – and maybe more. A recent study reports that yoga “provides physical and mental benefits for both lung cancer patients and their caregivers.”
Researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center set out to find interventions for families facing a poor cancer prognosis and to examine mind-body techniques as supportive care strategies. Led by Kathrin Milbury, PhD, an assistant professor of cancer medicine in the Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, they turned to yoga as a “a gentle form of exercise,” and for the ease in modifying poses for patients and for adapting it for partner participation.
In the feasibility study focused on physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation, the team offered patients and their caregivers 15, one-hour yoga sessions, according to a press release announcing the initial results of the study. The poses included chest-opening moves that incorporated stretching the chest area with deep breathing practice. All of the patients in the study had inoperable non-small cell lung cancer and were undergoing thoracic radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The patients completed a quality-of-life survey and a six-minute walking assessment. 26 patient/caregiver pairs took part, completing a mean of 12 classes.
“It is never too late to engage in exercise, and we know from earlier studies that people can exercise while being treated with chemotherapy or radiation,” said Dr. Milbury. “Caregivers sometimes have more anxiety and sleeping problems than patients. Therefore, we thought that having the patient and caregiver go through yoga instruction together would be beneficial for both partners.”
The patients who took the yoga classes “had significantly better physical function as assessed by the 6-minute walking test,” better stamina for performing daily activities, as well as improved mental health. The caregivers reported improvements in fatigue and stamina.
Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer of the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart caused by past exposure to asbestos. Research has shown that patients who focus on the power of the mind-body connection and choose to be optimistic and positive will realize a higher quality of life and may respond better to treatments. In addition, cancer patients who practice yoga and stay active by walking or getting outside are shown to have less stress and anxiety than those who remain sedentary.
According to WebMD, regular yoga practice can “lead to significant improvements in sleep for people who have undergone cancer treatment.” In a study conducted by the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, University of Rochester Medical Center, researchers found that yoga was effective in improving sleep quality and sleep efficiency in cancer patients.
“We demonstrated that patients undergoing treatment for lung cancer are not too sick to participate in a behavioral supportive care intervention,” said Dr. Milbury. “Both patients and caregivers reported to have enjoyed the experience, and it gave them a time away from cancer, and [they] learned something new together.”
The research will be continued with a more diverse group of patients.
Prior to beginning any fitness routine, mesothelioma patients should discuss their options with their doctors.
Visit MD Anderson Cancer Center’s website to find out more about the yoga study. The results were presented at the 2017 Palliative And Supportive Care In Oncology Symposium held Oct. 27-28 in San Diego, CA.
Emotional Stress Of Mesothelioma Diagnosis Could Lead to PTSD
MesotheliomaHelp has reported time and again about the stress mesothelioma patients face. Trying to handle treatments in the midst of managing bills, insurance, appointments and communication with friends and family can take its toll. Now, researchers report the emotional impact of dealing with a cancer diagnosis is even more serious than previously reported.
A team of Malaysian researchers report that nearly one-fifth of cancer patients are likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) after their diagnosis, according to a Nov. 20 article in MedPage Today. In their study of just over 200 patients, they found that more than 20% of cancer patients had symptoms of PTSD a month after diagnosis. About 33% of those patients were still struggling with PTSD four years later.
“Our data underscore the risk of developing persistent PTSD even years after mesothelioma cancer diagnosis and treatment,” said Lei Hum Wee, PhD, of the National University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
The team from Kuala Lumpur is not the first to identify PTSD in cancer patients, however, they are the first to use gold-standard clinical interviews and to follow a cohort for as long as four years. With the cancer diagnosis being the traumatic exposure, to be diagnosed with PTSD a patient must also have had “at least one recurring symptom, three avoidance/numbing symptoms, and two arousal symptoms, all persisting for more than a month and resulting in significant distress or functional impairment.” For subsyndromal PTSD the patient’s response must lead to distress or functional impairment persisting more than a month, associated with the presence of at least six symptoms from three of four categories (recurring, avoidance/numbing, hyperarousal, and duration), according to the researchers.
Numerous studies have shown that if after a terminal cancer diagnosis a patient does not receive proper support managing the vast number of issues they are faced with, such as financial issues, transportation needs, personal care and family management, the stress can lead to depression, anxiety and failing health. In fact, according to a 2007 breakthrough study conducted by the Institute of Medicine, physicians should also monitor the social and emotional health, or psychosocial needs, of patients to lessen their suffering and to “support their return to health.” The IOM report stressed that, “Psychosocial issues in cancer are palpable, important, and potentially crippling.”
The researchers in the current PTSD study reported that for the patients in their study, a cognitive behavioral therapy had “significant improvement in anxiety and distress associated with fear of cancer recurrence.” Mesothelioma patients should discuss treatment options for their mental health with their oncologist. Treating the emotional aspect of mesothelioma should not be ignored.
“This [study] highlights a need to monitor PTSD among long-term cancer survivors, especially because many of the symptoms of PTSD, such as avoidance and cognitive difficulties (as well as psychological distress), are enduring, which may potentially impact adherence to treatment,” said Dr. Lei Hum Wee.
Nearly 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.
Targeting Nerves To Stop Mesothelioma Growth
Researchers have spent countless hours searching for an effective way to keep mesothelioma cells from migrating and growing. They have looked at biomarkers within the cells, improved radiation techniques and stronger chemotherapy, with each approach falling short of the breakthrough needed to extend survival. Now, researchers are turning their attention to nerve cells as a target for halting cancer growth.
Researchers from across the globe have begun building on research from the 80s from Johns Hopkins University where alcohol injections were given to ease the pain in pancreatic cancer patients, according to an Oct. 18 article in the New Scientist. In the original research, when advanced-stage pancreatic cancer patients were injected with alcohol in the nerves around the tumors pressing on the spine, not only did the patients find pain relief but they also gained (on average) three more months of life.
At the time, the scientists chalked up the extended survival to the mind-body connection theory that by relieving the pain the patients were in a better mood and were more active allowing them to tolerate and respond to standard treatments better. Research over the years, points instead to the ability of cancer cells to travel along the nervous system and metastasize to other organs and the brain.
Expert Insight
Gustavo Ayala, University of Texas Health Science Center
“If you don’t take care of the nerves, you’re not going to cure cancer “
“It’s not entirely clear why, but we know that nerves release stimulatory molecules such as neurotransmitters,” says Hubert Hondermarck, a cancer neurobiologist at the University of Newcastle in Australia, in a March 27 press release from the University. “Cancer cells receive these and use them for their benefit, growing, multiplying, migrating, invading and creating metastasis – there is therefore a nerve dependence for cancer cells.”
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that can multiply and spread quickly making it impossible to treat. Metastasis, according to the National Cancer Society, is the cause of 90 percent of all cancer deaths. Needless to say, stopping the spread of cancer cells is critical for improving survival in mesothelioma patients.
Although nerves are the target of the research, those targeted must be carefully selected, since destroying any nerve cells can have far-reaching implications such as affecting the heart, digestion or the ability to feel heat and pain.
The involuntary or “autonomic” nervous system’s opposing functions, rest and fight or flight, help drive the target for treatment in cancer or other diseases. For example, targeting nerve receptors involved in fight-or-flight responses can aid heart patients, whereas looking at nerves that relax the body could halt the free flow of cancer cells.
“It’s exciting,” says Claire Magnon, a cancer biologist at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission near Paris. “This is the beginning of a new era in cancer research.”
Further study by Hondermarck, and others looking at additional cancer types, led Hondermarck to conclude that the interaction of the cancer cells and the nerves is “relatively widespread,” indicating the research is beneficial for many types of cancer.
Close to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. The mesothelioma community always sits up and takes note when a breakthrough of such significant proportions, like this, leads researchers to a different approach for treating cancer.
Read the full study in the March 13 issue of Cancer Cell.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1535610816306055
Sources:
- New Scientist
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2078806-gentler-attack-on-cancer-may-mean-we-can-live-with-it-for-longer - University of Newcastle in Australia
https://www.newcastle.edu.au/newsroom/featured-news/study-strikes-a-nerve-with-the-spread-of-cancer
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