Researchers at Chiba University in Japan recently examined the response
of mesothelioma cells when treated with a combination of two statin drugs
commonly used to lower cholesterol and paired with a form of vitamin E
called gamma tocotrienol (y-T3). In some studies, statin drugs have been
shown to reduce the risk of ovarian and liver cancer.
T3 administered alone had previously been shown to have a negative effect
on mesothelioma cells, but when researchers combined with the drugs Zocor
and Lipitor, cell growth was further inhibited and rate of mesothelioma
cell death was increased. The researchers believe the higher rate of cell
death is a result of the statin drugs activating a protein called caspase
3, which plays a vital role in cell death and only occurred in the presence
of the statins.
The combination has not yet been tested in humans, but research of this
kind will prove to be revolutionary in the search for alternative and better
treatment options for mesothelioma.