Apr
27
2011

New protein opens door for mesothelioma treatment

New protein identification may open the door to a new mesothelioma treatment as doctors work toward a cure.

Researchers at the Wistar Institute, an independent nonprofit biomedical research institute based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, may have found a therapeutic target for Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2), an inherited cancer disorder, and related cancers, such as mesothelioma a rare cancer of the protective lining of the body’s major organs and cavities.

Merlin, the protein encoded within the NF2 gene, reportedly interacts with a protein called angiomotin. “Angiomotin is required for movement of cells that form new blood vessels, so it is fascinating to see it so closely linked to merlin, the product of the NF2 gene, loss of which leads to tumor formation,” explained Joseph Kissil, Ph.D., senior author of the study and associate professor in the Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program of The Wistar Institute Cancer Center.

The researchers say that this discovery has provided a new potential method in treating malignant mesothelioma. They would essentially starve the tumor cells, a strategy already employed in other cancer therapies. “What makes angiomotin a tempting target is that it is used by both blood vessels and the growing tumor cells that need the nutrients these blood vessels provide,” continued Kissil.

Merlin, on the other hand, is part of a molecular signaling pathway that regulates cell growth and division. However, if one protein in the pathway is disrupted, it can alter the function of other proteins along the channel. Merlin mutations have been found in about half of all cases of mesothelioma disease.