Vienna: A
multi-target small molecule anticancer drug shows promising
effectiveness in stopping the growth of human malignant pleural
mesothelioma, a fatal thoracic tumor, in preclinical models, according
to a new study published jointly by researchers in Austria, Germany and
Hungary. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a particularly aggressive
tumor that occurs in the lining that covers the lungs. It typically
results from exposure to asbestos. Standard anti-mesothelioma treatment
includes surgery, chemotherapy, irradiation or multimodal therapy, which
is the combination of these approaches. Because these conventional
therapies have reached their efficacy plateau, new targeted approaches
are needed to improve survival. However, despite proven efficacy of
molecularly targeted drugs across a wide spectrum of other cancer types,
most mesothelioma patients could not yet benefit from this novel
treatment paradigm. The new research suggests that by preventing the
growth of new mesothelioma blood vessels and thus starving tumors of
nutrients and oxygen, the novel targeted medication called nintedanib is
a promising candidate for helping patients with mesothelioma.
