A study published this month in the journal Scientific Reports details research into a promising new therapeutic target for treating malignant mesothelioma. Researchers investigated intracavitary administration of a radioimmunoconjugate in laboratory animals and found it may offer an important new method for improving patient outcomes.
Radioimmunoconjugate Administration Offers New Approach to Mesothelioma
The mesothelioma study was conducted by scientists from the Norwegian Radum Hospital of Oslo University Hospital, with scientists from the Department of Molecular Medicine and Department of Radiation Biology participating, as well as from Oncoinvent ASA. The research follows previous studies that had indicated that intraperitoneal administration of radionuclide therapy could be effective in treating malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.
Radioimmunoconjugates are hybrid molecules that combine a radioactive element that emits radiation (alpha, beta, or gamma rays) for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes with a protein designed to specifically recognize and bind to a particular antigen on the surface of cancer cells or other targets. Previous mesothelioma studies have shown that elements of the radioimmunoconjugate bound and internalized with mesothelioma cells but not with healthy cells. The radioimmunoconjugate that the researchers used has previously shown therapeutic effects in reducing the growth of cancer cells.
Approach Offers a Promising Method of Mesothelioma Drug Delivery
Because the antibody used in the test has high specificity for mesothelioma and for binding to its cells, the researchers hoped it could prove to be a valuable tool for cancer detection and therapy monitoring as well as drug delivery. The lab animals included in the test and treated with the radioimmunoconjugate showed a significantly prolonged survival time compared with saline-treated mice, with a median survival time of 55 days, or 23-to-29% longer than the control mice.
The study supported the potential for targeting mesothelioma cells using an alpha-emitting radioimmunoconjugate, indicating that it effectively interacts with targets, leading to improved survival in mice with intraperitoneal mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma researchers work every day to improve outcomes for patients diagnosed with the rare, asbestos-related disease. For information about care near you, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
