In the September 2013 issue of The Journal of Immunotherapy, researchers from the Western
University of Australia published results of a study using a promising new immunotherapy
compound and its effects on reoccurring mesothelioma tumors in lab mice. Immunotherapy
is based on the body's natural defense system, which protects us against a
variety of diseases.
Researchers tested the effects of anti-CD40, an antibody which increases the body’s
production of tumor-fighting T-cells, on mesothelioma tumors in mice. Researchers
first removed the mesothelioma tumor, then re-implanted mesothelioma cells to
mimic reoccurrence of disease. At the occurrence of established regrowth, the
anti-CD40 was administered to the tumors through the bloodstream, to the area
surrounding the tumor, or directly to the tumor. The results showed slowed
metastatic growth and inhibited local recurrence, in addition to improved
survival from metastasis.
Mesothelioma has an especially high rate of
recurrence even when treated with a multi-modality approach utilizing surgery,
chemotherapy, and/or radiation. Immunotherapy offers great promise as an emerging
option in cancer treatment, but it is still fairly new. Some types of immunotherapy
have now become part of standard cancer treatment, while others remain
experimental. An enormous amount of research remains to be done before the
findings can be widely applied.
View
the abstract here.
Related
link: Primer on
Immunotherapy - The New Frontier
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