Adding sirolimus to chemotherapy with cisplatin has been shown to be more effective against mesothelioma than cisplatin alone, say some researchers at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. The study was conducted specifically in the hopes of uncovering a more effective treatment for the cancer, stating that “[it] sought to determine whether combination treatment with sirolimus and cisplatin would enhance cell death in malignant pleural mesothelioma.”
Sirolimus, a drug that was first discovered as a product of a certain bacterium in a soil sample taken from Easter Island, was originally developed as an inti-fungal and later adapted as a powerful immunosuppressant used to prevent organ rejection in patients receiving kidney transplants. Most recently the drug is being tested for its possible applications in the treatment of mesothelioma.
The immunosuppressant sirolimus is a powerful antiproliferative which can restrict cell growth and development as well as cell proliferation in certain circumstances. Sirolimus affects cell growth by inhibiting the mammalian target of rapamycin, or mTOR, a protein indicated in certain cell growth behaviors. Some researchers believe that mTOR could cause malignant cells to reproduce more aggressively, and that inhibiting mTOR could result in slower spread and easier treatment of some cancers.
The study consisted of incubating malignant pleural mesothelioma cells with sirolimus or cisplatin alone or in combination and analyzing the results. The effects of the drug combination were also analyzed in tumors with varying resistance to the drug cisplatin. The drug combination substantially increased cell death in comparison to either drug used alone.
The results of the study were definitely positive, and may lead to the development of more effective mesothelioma treatments. The study stated that:
“Sirolimus appears to enhance the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in malignant pleural mesothelioma cell lines through the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. These results provide a basis for the clinical evaluation of combined sirolimus and cisplatin chemotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma.”
Research continues to fully understand the implications of these findings. Scientists across the world continue to study new ways to combat mesothelioma, and every new discovery provides new hope for mesothelioma patients and their families alike.
