An Italian Research identifies new molecules that inhibit the growth of malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rare and very aggressive tumor that attacks the mesothelium, a thin membrane that lines the lung pleura and is associated with exposure to asbestos. The tumor has a very long latency period, during which it remains asymptomatic and its therapies are currently limited.
Study published in the journal Pnas
The result was published in the American journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Pnas). Riccarda Granata, from the Endocrinology and Metabolism Division of the Department of Medical Sciences, demonstrated in collaboration with colleagues from other universities how small molecules, the so-called growth hormone-releasing hormone antagonists, are capable of inhibiting growth of tumor cells in malignant pleural mesothelioma in several experimental models.
Therapy
These effects had already been demonstrated in other models, including prostate and lung cancer, but not in malignant pleural mesothelioma. In addition to blocking the mechanisms responsible for tumor progression, it has been shown that the identified molecules are capable of potentiating the anti-tumor action of “pemetrexed”, the chemotherapy of choice for the treatment of mesothelioma.