Malignant mesothelioma is one of the most challenging forms of cancer to treat. Because the asbestos-related disease isn’t generally diagnosed until it is in an advanced stage, but it has also proven to be highly resistant to the traditional cancer treatments that stop or stall the advance of malignancies. To counter these difficulties, researchers are constantly testing new methodologies, and the only way to do this is through clinical trials. Rare diseases like mesothelioma can present recruitment difficulties: with so few patients diagnosed each year, finding enough participants to provide meaningful data can be hard, but a recently announced study being conducted by biotechnology company Curis, Inc. has already reached its target enrollment just a few months after the study was announced.
Mesothelioma participants to be focus of cutting edge cancer research
The mesothelioma study being conducted by Curis will focus on the impact of CA-170, an orally available, dual inhibitor of VISTA and PDL1. VISTA is an inhibitory T cell checkpoint protein that is found in immune cells and tumor cells of many kinds of cancer, and it is expressed in high levels in mesothelioma. CA-170 has already proven itself safe and well tolerated, and previous tests on other tumor types have also delivered promising results. The study that is about to begin is the first one to look specifically at patients whose tumors express high levels of VISTA, and the mesothelioma patients enrolled in the study will be administered two different dose levels. Speaking of the remarkable success of their enrollment efforts and where they see their mesothelioma studies headed, President & CEEO James Dentzer said, “If the data from this phase of the trial, which is expected in the 2nd half of this year, is positive, we expect to initiate an expansion of the study.”
Precision oncology viewed as the future of mesothelioma treatment
The approach that Curis is taking to mesothelioma treatment is part of a new wave of innovation being seen in the world of cancer research that is being termed precision oncology. The studies are looking at ways to interfere with cancer cells while recruiting the body’s immune system. The company is currently collaborating with several others to develop these new therapies.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, cutting-edge research offers your best hope. For information on other clinical trials and cancer treatment centers that are offering innovative therapies, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
