Researchers unlock solution to how asbestos causes malignant mesothelioma

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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Obama cancer panel finds asbestos, other carcinogens still pose risk

The President’s Cancer Panel and the National Cancer Institute recently issued a new report, “Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now [PDF],” which examines the effect that environmental factors have on cancer risks. The report also contains recommendations from the Panel on lowering the risks posed by many cancer-causing substances, including bisphenol A (BPA), chromium and asbestos.

The panel found that despite efforts to reduce exposure to cancer-causing products, these substances continue to jeopardize the health of American workers and consumers:

With nearly 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States, many of which are used by millions of Americans in their daily lives and are un- or understudied, exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread.

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