Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

Researchers trying to understand the dynamics of mesothelioma have discovered that one of the chemicals which regulates the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) plays a part in mesothelioma tumor development. 

The chemical is called BMAL1 and plays a part in regulating hunger, sleep cycles, and even the heart’s rhythm.  Several studies in the past have keyed in on the fact that mesothelioma tumors tend to produced more BMAL1 than non-cancerous cells but up until this point the fact has just been another curiosity.  Nobody really understood what role the chemical played and if the presence of it had any real effective meaning for potentially combatting mesothelioma.

However, a group of Japanese scientists suspect that the BMAL1 chemical may actually be useful in developing some form of specific drug delivery system that could protect undamaged cells from harm during asbestos cancer treatments. 

The scientists worked with epithelial mesothelioma cell samples and exposed them to a serum shock created specifically to disturb the natural circadian rhythm of the cells.  This serum shock did not produce the expect results.  While it did change the expression of BMAL1 in the mesothelioma cells, the cells continued to manufacture the chemical.  This led scientist to theorize that mesothelioma cancer cells might not work according to natural circadian rhythms. 

The scientists then specifically lowered the amount of BMAL1 available to the mesothelioma cells hoping that it would disrupt their growth pattern, which it did.  However, the results were a mixed bag.  Instead of simply retarding or reversing cell growth, varied levels of BMAL1 appeared to produce seemingly random mutations within the cell samples including “drastic morphological changes.”  These mutations included multiple nuclei within a single cell and cells with smaller than normal nuclei. 

While this finding alone was enough to suggest that BMAL1 did indeed play a very important part in mesothelioma cell growth, and therefore tumor growth, the scientists were unable to explain exactly what the chemical did or why.

However, the results were drastic enough to suggest that BMAL1 manipulation could produce a viable method of treatment for mesothelioma. These potential treatments are not limited to BMAL1 specific chemotherapy delivery options.  Indeed, if scientists can pinpoint what role the chemical plays in mesothelioma development, they could possibly find a way to undermine the reproductive cycle of the cancer cells, effectively destroying the tumor from within.

Despite promising initial results, this alternative form of treating mesothelioma will need to undergo more clinical trials to better understand the role BMAL1 plays and how this could be used as a way of prevention or treatment.