Researchers from Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have managed to eradicate advanced-stage mesothelioma tumors within days on rodent subjects, laying the groundwork for future human trials. By combining cytokine “drug factory” implants the size of tiny beads and immunotherapy agents targeting the PD-1 protein, the treatment is designed to be delivered directly to pleural tumors during minimally invasive surgery.

The Rice-Baylor team found that on their own, the implants eliminated the tumors in more than half of the mice. When combined with immunotherapy, the tumors were completely destroyed within a few days in all seven of the subjects.

Dr. Bryan Burt, professor and chief of Baylor’s Division of Thoracic Surgery, states:

“It’s very hard to treat mesothelioma tumors in mice, like it is in human beings. And what our data show is that delivery of these immunotherapy particles, regionally, to these mice who have mesothelioma, has very provocative and very effective treatment responses. In fact, I've not seen these mesothelioma tumors in mice be eradicated, with such efficacy, as we have in this mouse model.”

All signs indicate that researchers have discovered a promising and powerful new way to tackle mesothelioma.

Check out the video featuring the study here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92wQ-ejKAmY

You can access the published abstract and full study here.