Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. Despite chemotherapy, surgery and radiation being the accepted standard form of treatment, mesothelioma is often resistant to these conventional methods. Research is continually ongoing in search of effective interventions and also ways to reduce the resistance to chemotherapy that is often associated with mesothelioma treatments. 

 

One recent study by Tomohiro Yano explored the possibility of using a combination therapy of cisplatin, a standard chemotherapy drug used to treat mesothelioma, with tocotrienol-rich fractions (TRF). Tocotrienol (T3) is oil that originates from plants, particularly rice bran, barley, wheat germ, rye and palms. T3 is a form of unsaturated vitamin E, and in previous studies has been found to have inhibited the proliferation and growth of mesothelioma tumors. The anticancer activity of T3 is believed to be caused by a mechanism known as antiangiogenesis. Antiangiogenic effects include inhibiting cell proliferation and migration and reducing tumor volume and serum vascular endothelial growth factors.    All this means that the anti-angiogenic properties of T3 have been shown to assist in tumor regression for malignant mesothelioma.

 

This study looked at the use of T3 derived from rice bran combined with doses of cisplatin as a strategy to reduce resistance to chemotherapeutic agents used to treat mesothelioma. Results indicated that T3 with cisplatin shows promise as a method of reducing chemoresistance in mesothelioma, and furthermore has no accompanying toxicity to non-tumorigenic cells. 

 

Although the exact anticancer properties of T3 are still unknown, it is believed that T3 causes biological activity that inhibits signaling of the endothelial cell pathways and also acts to minimize tumor growth.   In addition, the new study shows promising results that T3 may be a used to effectively reduce chemoresistance, a common challenge for treating mesothelioma. 

 

Chemotherapy is almost always used as a front line treatment with mesothelioma patients, and sometimes considered for secondary therapy as well. Even with the first round, chemotherapy is commonly found to have little to minimal anti-cancer effect. The lack of efficacy increases when tried as a second line therapy. Therefore, any research into ways to reduce resistance is vital to finding ways to help mesothelioma patients respond better to standard treatments. T3 warrants further research as a potential agent to not only suppress mesothelioma but also resistance to treatment.