As medical researchers continue to search for better and more effective forms of mesothelioma treatment, immunotherapy at the molecular level has become a promising new possibility. New drugs such as RITA – which affects the p53 protein – have shown promise in early testing. The p53 protein normally serves as a tumor suppressor in the human body, but it gets “turned off” by mesothelioma.
RITA and other drugs are designed to reactivate the p53 protein, which can enable the body’s own immune system to cause a programmed cell death within the tumor – all without affecting the healthy cells around the tumor. These findings, which were recently published in Cell Cycle, have focused on RITA, which performed well in cases that involved biphasic and epithelioid cell types of mesothelioma. However, RITA was not as promising when used against sarcomatoid, which is the most aggressive form of mesothelioma.
Another benefit of RITA is its synergy with cisplatin, the chemotherapy drug that is used as a standard part of modern mesothelioma treatment. Using RITA could reduce the amount of cisplatin needed during chemotherapy, which would in turn limit some of the more overwhelming side effects of chemotherapy.
If you or one of your loved ones has been diagnosed with mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, you deserve to afford the very best medical care available. Please contact The Law Office of Brown | Kiely, LLP today or call (410) 625-9330 to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our experienced Baltimore mesothelioma attorneys. We serve clients Baltimore, Maryland, Washington D.C., and nationwide.
