Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

A new study published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine has shown that the flavonoid resveratrol does indeed suppress the abnormal growth of human malignant pleural mesothelioma cells.  The effect is caused by the flavonoid’s ability to inhibit the specificity protein 1.

Researchers from the Department of Biochemistry at Soonchunhyang University in Cheonan, Korea devised experiments to test the effectiveness of resveratrol against mesothelioma.  They were working under the assumption that because resveratrol, which is found in the skin of red grapes, induces apoptosis (cell death) in some malignant cells, that it should also work on mesothelioma as well.  They were anxious to put their theory to the test and used diseased laboratory mice in a controlled setting along with regulated doses of the flavonoid.

Resveratrol is a natural form of phenol that is produced by certain plants, most notably red grapes, as they are attacked by bacteria or fungi.  The flavonoid is a sort of natural defense against these attacks and has been the subject of serious scientific debate for some time.  Researchers have noted that resveratrol can actually have an effect on lifespan in several forms of animal life including fish, insects, and nematodes.  It has been touted as an anti-cancer agent and an anti-aging agent though the mechanism of these alleged effects has never been fully scientifically proven.  

However, several veins of research have confirmed that this chemical compound does indeed induce an apoptic effect on various malignant cells, thereby slowing progression and proliferation.  In fact, clinical trials testing the effect of resveratrol on colon cancer and certain types of skin cancer are currently under way.  Investigating this as a possible method of mesothelioma treatment was a novel jump and until the Korean team took on the task, nobody had ever examined the interaction of resveratrol and mesothelioma.

Through experimentation the group discovered that resveratrol “interacts with specificity protein 1 (Sp1)” effectively inhibiting its expression.  This interrupts the cell growth cycle and effectively keeps the cancer cells from reproducing, eventually contributing to actual cell death.  In addition, resveratrol moderated the expression of several regulatory proteins including p21, p27, cyclin D1, Mcl-1 and survivin specifically in mesothelioma cells.

Acting on this knowledge, the scientists began using resveratrol in a controlled setting as a treatment for mesothelioma.  In a laboratory they administered a 20 mg/kg daily dose over the course of 4 weeks.  The effect of this treatment on the diseased mice was quite unexpected – it completely suppressed tumor growth. 

This is a tremendous breakthrough and though the treatments did not reverse tumor growth, the victory was enough to make researchers believe that resveratrol was indeed a valid anti-cancer agent and should be investigated more thoroughly.

In addition, they suggested that additional methods of modulating the specificity 1 gene should be examined as it plays an extremely important role in regulating growth of mesothelioma cancer cells. 

Source:  The flavonoid resveratrol suppresses growth of human malignant pleural mesothelioma cells through direct inhibition of specificity protein 1.