Asbestos Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Asbestos, including details on mesothelioma, lung disease, dangers, effects, risks.

Update on the molecular biology of malignant mesothelioma.

Lee AY, Raz DJ, He B, Jablons DM

Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive tumor with a very poor prognosis. The disease is largely unresponsive to conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and most patients die within 10-17 months of the first symptoms. Novel, more effective therapeutic strategies are needed for this inexorably fatal disease. Improvement in our understanding of the molecular biology of MM has identified promising new candidates for targeted treatments. In this review the key molecular signaling pathways, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), Wnt, and the cell cycle control genes p53, pRb, and bcl-2 that appear to play an important role in the pathogenesis of MM are explored.

Published 14 May 2007 in Cancer, 109(8): 1454-61.
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