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• Former worker alleges asbestos safety violations by companies (November 22, 2011): A Montgomery College student has alleged that asbestos safety violations were commtted by several asbestos abatement companies where he worked. Ernest Ojito alleges six companies throughout Marlyand, Washington D.C. and Virginia put workers at risk by exposing them to asbestos while ignoring federal safety requirements.
• British university fined for alleged asbestos exposure (November 17, 2011): The University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom has been fined for failing to take adequate steps to remove asbestos from four of its buildings. The British Health Service Executive fined the university more than £22,000 after it was discovered that officials at the university took four years before ordering asbestos removal from the buildings.
• Asbestos victim awarded $2M in mesothelioma lawsuit (November 8, 2011): An Australian man who was diagnosed with mesothelioma was awarded more than $2 million in his asbestos lawsuit. The Australian Supreme Court awarded Simon Lowes the sum after he alleged that he was exposed to asbestos as a young child at an orphanage.
• High rates of mesothelioma found among Iron Range workers (November 3, 2011): An ongoing study has found 82 deaths from mesothelioma in the Iron Range of Minnesota, up from the 63 previously reported in 2010. Lead researchers for the study have found the mesothelioma rate is considerably higher than it should be for the region.

Researchers have uncovered evidence that patients with a specific genetic mutation may face an increased risk of developing mesothelioma and some other forms of cancer. The study by scientists at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center and the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia was published in the August 2011 issue of the journal Nature Genetics.

The researchers found that individuals who carry a mutation of the BAP1 gene are more likely to develop mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos than individuals without the mutation. The study also found that individuals with the BAP1 mutation may be more likely to develop melanoma of the eye, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer or renal cancer.

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Here are some of the latests mesothelioma and asbestos stories that we are currently following:

Some mesothelioma cases may be misdiagnosed as ovarian cancer (July 18, 2011): A new study has uncovered evidence that some women who were suffering from mesothelioma may have been wrongly diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The study is one of the first pieces of evidence that some ovarian cancer cases may have actually been misdiagnosed cases of mesothelioma.

Libby woodchip contamination reignites asbestos fears (July 15, 2011): An investigation by the Associated Press has revealed that officials with the Environmental Protection Agency have known about the existence of asbestos-contaminated woodchip piles in the town of Libby, Montana for at least three years, but failed to notify residents about their potential danger.

West Virginia couple names 85 companies in mesothelioma lawsuit (July 6, 2011): A West Virginia couple filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against 85 companies alleging that the man received a mesothelioma diagnosis due to workplace asbestos exposure. Vincent and Antoinette Scriptunas filed the suit in Kanawha County in June 2008.

New tests may aid in early detection of mesothelioma (July 6, 2011): U.S. researchers have discovered significant biological differences, or biomarkers, that distinguished blood samples of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is most commonly detected at an advanced stage, leaving the possibility of a cure minimal.

Here are some of the latest mesothelioma and asbestos stories that we are currently following:

• Turkish asbestos ban goes into effect (Feb. 17, 2011): A total ban on the use and manufacturing of asbestos-containing products went into effect in Turkey on New Year's Day.
• One in five mesothelioma cases goes unreported, study finds (Feb. 12, 2011): A new study has found that nearly 40,000 mesothelioma cases may have gone unreported over the last 15 years.
• North Dakota road material may increase mesothelioma cancer risk (Dec. 22, 2011): New evidence suggests that exposure to erionite dust may be linked to an increased risk of developing mesothelioma.
• Quebec health officials criticize Canada’s support of asbestos industry (Dec. 2, 2011): Canadian health officials have criticized the government for supporting the nation's asbestos industry depite evidence of its harmful effects.

A new study published by the National Academy of Sciences may have uncovered an answer to the question of how asbestos causes the formation of cancerous mesothelioma in healthy cells.

When asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, they can become permanently lodged in the mesothelium, the lining that surrounds the body’s internal organs. These fibers may cause the death of mesothelial cells with which they come into contact. Since dead cells cannot form tumors, experts were puzzled as to how malignant mesothelioma cancer cells could form after asbestos exposure.

Researchers from the University of Hawaii found that when healthy mesothelial cells are exposed to asbestos fibers, they undergo a process called “programmed cell necrosis.” This process causes dying cells to release a protein called “high mobility group box 1” (HMGB1). The release of HMGB1 causes the nearby cells to release a second protein, TNF-α, which triggers inflammation and increases the risk of mutation into the malignant cancer cells that cause mesothelioma.

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