Scientists "Turn Off" Tumor-Protecting Protein in New Mesothelioma Study, According to Surviving Mesothelioma

New research suggests that microRNAs may be the key to downregulating PD-L1 and improving immunotherapy treatment for malignant mesothelioma.

Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) June 25, 2017

Australian researchers studying the protein PD-L1 have developed a way to potentially turn off the mechanism that lets mesothelioma tumors hide from the immune system. Surviving Mesothelioma has the full story. Click here to read it now.

Doctors at the Asbestos DIseases Research Institute at the University of Sydney found key differences in the action of certain microRNAs among mesothelioma patients with elevated levels of PD-L1.

"In the same patient series, PD-L1 expression was also associated with downregulation of microRNAs previously shown to have tumour suppressor activity in malignant pleural mesothelioma," writes Steven C. Kao, the lead author on the paper.

According to the study in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the researchers determined that it is possible to downregulate PD-L1 expression by inserting "mimic" microRNAs into mesothelioma cells in the lab.

"This is especially noteworthy since mesothelioma patients who test positive for PD-L1 overexpression are more likely to have a non-epithelioid type of mesothelioma and poorer odds of survival," says Alex Strauss, Managing Editor for Surviving Mesothelioma.

For the details of the new clinical trial and more about PD-L1 and microRNAs in mesothelioma, see MicroRNAs May Be Key to Better Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma, now available on the Surviving Mesothelioma website.

Kao, SC, et al, "Tumour suppressor microRNAs contribute to the regulation of PD-L1 expression in malignant pleural mesothelioma", June 16, 2017, Journal of Thoracic Oncology, Epub ahead of print, http://www.jto.org/article/S1556-0864(17)30460-4/fulltext

For more than a decade, Surviving Mesothelioma has brought readers the most important and ground-breaking news on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma. All Surviving Mesothelioma news is gathered and reported directly from the peer-reviewed medical literature. Written for patients and their loved ones, Surviving Mesothelioma news helps families make more informed decisions.

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