A new study by Dartmouth Medical School and Amtek, gives hope to patients with cancer tumors that are resistant to traditional treatment options, including mesothelioma. The researchers developed a treatment using two chemical agents to kill tumors while protecting healthy cells.
The study uses previous research suggesting that methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP), an enzyme, is missing in a percentage of certain cancer types. The cancers lacking MTAP include:
- Lung cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Pancreatic Cancer
- T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
The strategy being employed in the study is to give two drugs to cancer patients – one is highly toxic and can damage both cancer and healthy cells, and the other protects healthy tissues from the first drug’s toxicity. Two of the drugs presently in use in the study are thioguanine and fluorouracil.
There are animal studies presently underway, with the hope that clinical applications will be possible. The study is lead by Dr. Martin Lubin and Adam Lubin of Amtek.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer, and getting appropriate treatment is critical. For more information, check out our mesothelioma treatment pages or contact one of our mesothelioma family advocates.
