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The Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology reported that when mesothelioma cells are under stress from heat, they respond with an increased production of heat-shock proteins that "rescue them from death." After disappointing expectations with the use of heated (hyperthermal) chemotherapy, researchers have now discovered that suppressing the release of these heat-responsive proteins in mesothelioma cancer cells can improve the effectiveness of the chemotherapeutic agent.

The study concluded that the inhibition of the stress proteins, Hsp40/Hsp70 or Erk1/2 MAPK, might present a new option to increase the success of hyperthermia in mesothelioma. Most malignant mesothelioma cases are diagnosed at advanced stages, and by that point the cases are highly resistant to chemotherapeutic agents and other available treatments.

Currently, there is no known cure for mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is a relatively rare cancer limiting the amount of new research and funding for the cancer. While this research is promising there remains much more testing to be conducted for mesothelioma therapy.

In the article researchers noted that while it had been predicted that the number of cases of mesothelioma will decline after 2010, recent studies indicate the rate of new malignant mesothelioma cases will continue to rise at a high level for another 10–15 years in Europe and in the United States, while in other countries the rate may even further increase.

Mesothelioma cells escape heat stress

Heat treatment for Mesothelioma