An experimental drug is showing positive results in treating mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer linked to asbestos exposure. In an early clinical trial, the drug controlled disease progression in 67% of patients.
Scientists at the University of Vermont, led by professor Brian Cunniff and research scientist Victoria Gibson, are employing a novel strategy to combat mesothelioma. The research, published in *Nature Communications*, focuses on disabling PRX3, an antioxidant defense mechanism used by tumors to survive oxidative stress. Mesothelioma, often caused by inhaled asbestos fibers triggering chronic inflammation, affects approximately 30,000 people worldwide annually.
The phase one clinical trial, sponsored by RS Oncology, LLC, involved patients with relapsed mesothelioma. The experimental drug not only controlled disease progression in 67% of participants but also caused tumors to shrink in some cases. Critically ill patients in the trial experienced longer survival times compared to those receiving standard treatments, and the drug was generally well-tolerated.
The researchers reversed the conventional approach to antioxidant-based cancer strategies. Cancer cells, including those of mesothelioma, produce high levels of reactive oxygen species. To counteract this, they increase production of antioxidant enzymes like PRX3, which operates within mitochondria. By disabling PRX3, the drug turns the cancer’s protective system into a weakness. “It's a disease of a significant unmet medical need,” says Cunniff.
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