Gene Therapy (article)

Gene Therapy

Scientists continue to study the possibility of manipulating a patient�s genes to treat or prevent certain diseases. The goal of gene therapy is to directly repair problems caused by defective genes.

"It [the cure] is out there somewhere now," said thoracic surgeon Dr. Raja Flores of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York." We just have to start thinking outside the box more. We�ve got to come up with something that no one has put together yet. But it�s there."
For pleural mesothelioma patients, gene therapy is particularly effective given the location of mesothelioma tumors; doctors can easily reach the pleural membrane to deliver genes, conduct biopsies and monitor treatment results.
As for peritoneal patients, surgeons can target mesothelioma tumor cells specifically, rather than all rapidly dividing cells in the body, using the oddly named suicide gene therapy. One of the most extensively studied genes in this procedure is the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk). In 1995, several researchers created a model demonstrating that HSV-tk could be an effective treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma. This study led to several gene therapies clinical trials for peritoneal patients.
While gene therapy does not currently offer a permanent cure for mesothelioma, it has shown promise in multiple clinical trials.

Breakthroughs in Clinical Trials Bring Us Closer to a Cure


Dr. Tirrell Johnson discusses the most recent research topics involving mesothelioma.
Since traditional treatment options currently do not provide a cure for mesothelioma, researchers are tirelessly looking for other therapies.

Currently, the process for introducing a new asbestos cancer medication typically takes 12 to 15 years. To ensure patient safety, adequate time must be spent in each stage of the development process. This is where clinical trials come in.
It takes nearly seven years for a new medication to make it to the first phase of a clinical trial. From there, the medication goes through four phases of clinical testing before becoming available for all patients.
Clinical trials are one of the best ways for researchers to improve their understanding of mesothelioma and to learn new ways to combat the disease. Once a specific drug or treatment has shown some success and safety in a lab setting, it can be studied in a clinical trial.
Recent clinical trials have greatly improved our ability to treat mesothelioma.