Mesothelioma is a rare and deadly asbestos-related cancer that affects the lining of the lungs. Notoriously resistant to traditional protocols and always considered fatal, it has long presented a challenge to researchers. Recently, Swiss scientists identified a promising new target for treatment — an enzyme called LDHB (lactate dehydrogenase B), which plays a crucial role in helping mesothelioma cancer cells survive and multiply. This enzyme normally helps cells convert lactate into energy, but in cancer cells, it becomes overactive and supports tumor growth.
Mesothelioma Cells Depend on LDHB
In an article published this week in the journal Oncogenesis, researchers from Bern University Hospital of the University of Bern compared mesothelioma cancer cells to healthy cells and discovered that the cancer cells produce much higher levels of LDHB. Upon using special techniques to block this enzyme, they found that the cancer cells could no longer grow as well, form new colonies, or survive as effectively.
The researchers found that when LDHB within mesothelioma cells was blocked, they underwent increased DNA damage. They theorized that the enzyme is essential for producing the building blocks needed to repair and copy DNA, and this was confirmed when they found that some of the damage had been reversed when they added LDHB back into the cells. Knowing that LDHB helps maintain healthy DNA provides a critical opportunity: Targeting the enzyme could provide an effective treatment approach.
Mesothelioma and Chemotherapy Combination Therapy
The researchers tested the impact of blocking LDHB in combination with the use of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. In laboratory experiments, they found that cancer cells in which LDHB was blocked, and cisplatin was administered, were more susceptible to the effect of the cisplatin than cells treated with chemotherapy alone. Tumors shrank more when both treatments were used together. This combination approach could potentially help patients respond better to chemotherapy.
The scientists are now working toward developing drugs that specifically target LDHB in mesothelioma cells. The findings suggest that testing LDHB levels in tumors may help doctors predict which patients would respond best to this treatment approach, potentially leading to more personalized and effective mesothelioma therapies.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, breakthroughs in research offer real hope for improved treatment options and better outcomes for patients. For information on other resources, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
