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Scientists and doctors at Wake Forest University in Virginia are exploring the possibility of personalized mesothelioma treatments in their lab. Researchers are studying treatments that they perform on biopsies of 3D mini-mesothelioma tumors from patients. These mini tumors serve as models to try out new therapies before using the therapy on the patient. The tumors are created by using mesothelioma cells taken from the biopsy tissue of mesothelioma patients, where drug combinations act to create a specific treatment for that patient.
Treatment outside of the body can predict how each patient will react to treatment that is tried on the mini tumor before it is given. This provides for treatment optimization. Patients with mesothelioma may live longer if they seek out personalized cancer treatments that are developed specifically to their body and genetic makeup.
Medical treatments that are customized to the patient are now an emerging area of medicine. This approach can analyze a patient’s genetic mutations that are underlying the patient’s cancer and attempt to find a match to determine exactly which type of drug will be most effective. The researchers do admit that even after this study at Wake Forest, it is not always clear which drugs to use even when genetic mutations are clearly identified. This could be because there are not as many drugs available as there are genetic mutations in the world. As the research progresses, more treatments and drug combinations can be developed to meet each patient’s needs.
Even though the findings are not without issues, this study could be ground breaking. This type of research could potentially be extrapolated to different types of cancers to find more precise treatments. This discovery is particularly promising for mesothelioma patients since the disease can be very aggressive and resistant to even the most powerful cancer treatments. Mesothelioma can be unpredictable since certain therapies work very well for some patients but have no effect on others. Researchers believe that this is due in part to genetic differences. Therefore, tailoring the treatment to the patient’s genetic profile could be a significant breakthrough in mesothelioma treatment.
Mesothelioma can be a fast-acting and painful disease. If you have been affected by an asbestos-related disease, the Philadelphia mesothelioma lawyers at Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown and Sandler are here to help. While we work hard on our clients’ cases, we also hope to see them seek out the best and most innovative treatments. We are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and we proudly serve clients from the surrounding areas. Call us at 215-569-4000 or contact us online to schedule a consultation regarding your case.