Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from cells of the mesothelium (the protective lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body.) Mesothelioma is most commonly caused by exposure to asbestos, with those working the mining the most common population group affected. The lungs are the organ most often affected because when asbestos fibers are breathed in they become entrapped in the lungs, causing inflammation.
The disease is invariably fatal; once people are diagnosed, there is little that can be done. This is why news on the breakthrough drug is so-welcomed. The drug is coded HRX9 and its mechanism of action is triggering cancer cells to undergo apoptosis (which is a type of programmed cell death.)
The HRX9 drug targets a set of genes in a family called HOX (and one gene in particular called HOXB4.) These are genes associated with cellular division. By targeting these genes, cancer cell growth is halted. Moreover, HRX9 leads to the disintegration of tumor blood vessels, which also results in cancer cell deaths.
Speaking with Laboratory Roots, the lead scientist Dr. Richard Morgan said: “We’ve effectively knocked out a key defence mechanism in this cancer through targeting the HOX genes.”
The findings came about after examining the gene pattern from 21 mesothelioma patients. Here it was discovered that the more HOXB4 present, then the shorter time the patient survived. This made the HOXB4 gene a strong candidate for a anti-cancer drug.
The research was undertaken at the University of Bradford, in England. The results are at an early stage, but research to date is promising. The next tranche of research will focus on mouse models, looking at the disease over the longer term. This will see if, one reduced in size, tumors remain small.
The research to date has been published in the journal BMC Cancer, in a paper titled “HOX transcription factors are potential targets and markers in malignant mesothelioma.”
