
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.