After twenty years of investigation, a researcher in the United Kingdom has confirmed that his discovery has created a breakthrough in mesothelioma survival. Professor Peter Szlosarek of Queen Mary University of London has just concluded a Phase III clinical trial that quadrupled patients’ survival at 36 months.
Professor’s Discovery Twenty Years Ago Drives Mesothelioma Research
The study that was published in JAMA Oncology documents the results of the ATOMIC-meso trial, a randomized placebo-controlled study of 249 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma that tested a combination of traditional chemotherapy with a drug called ADI-PEG20 that targets cancer’s metabolism.
The study follows Professor Szlosarek’s discovery 20 years ago that malignant mesothelioma cells do not contain a protein called ASS1. That protein allows cells to manufacture arginine, an amino acid that serves as its energy supply. Since then, he and his team have been working to leverage this knowledge to weaken the aggressive, deadly form of cancer.
Significant Improvement in Mesothelioma Survival
The mesothelioma study delivered results that are being termed a “breakthrough,” with the median survival of participants increasing by 1.6 months and survival at 36 months quadrupling that of patients who received placebo with chemotherapy. Speaking of the results, Professor Szlosarek said, “It’s truly wonderful to see the research into the arginine starvation of cancer cells come to fruition. This discovery is something I have been driving from its earliest stages in the lab, with a new treatment, ADI-PEG20, now improving patient lives affected by mesothelioma. I thank all the patients and families, investigators and their teams, and Polaris Pharmaceuticals for their commitment to defining a new cancer therapy.
Beyond its use in treating malignant mesothelioma, ADI-PEG20 is also being tested in patients who have sarcoma and glioblastoma, two other aggressive forms of cancer that rely on arginine for energy.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, this discovery offers significant hope for extended survival. For more information on this and other treatments, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
