New drug to treat Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is cancer caused by the exposure the naturally occurring fibrous mineral called asbestos. This cancer is known to be mostly occurring in the lining of the lungs. There are regulating cells in the immune system that eliminate the damaged and unhealthy cells when those cells find a way of ignoring apoptosis (cell suicide), cancer arises. A professor, Richard Morgan, at Bradford’s Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, created a drug to stop all the strategies of escaping the regulatory cells. HRX9 is the first drug that works on mesothelioma by forcing the cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. 

It is also determined the HOX genes responsible for cell division in embryos are triggered back on causing the damaged (cancer) cells to replicate at a very fast rate.  The HOXB4 gene is a way of predicting the length of patient survival. It has been found that patients who have a greater number of HOXB4 protein present survived a shorter period of time.

This type of research is very crucial to society because, as mentioned in the article over 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with this cancer each year. People overseas are being exposed to asbestos that is creating harmful environment to work in and putting people at risk of developing mesothelioma. Some type of medication is needed to give hope to those who are affected by this and this research can save many lives.