Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy of the pleural surface that represents around 90% of all mesothelioma cases diagnosed. It is an aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis, and relatively few treatment options. MPM is predominantly caused by prior asbestos exposure. There is a long latency period between first exposure to diagnosis, which explains why the full effects of banning asbestos in the workplace is not yet evident and the disease incidence is still high. Due to continued unregulated asbestos use in countries such as India, Brazil and Russia, MPM will continue to represent a significant global health concern even after peak incidence has passed in other countries.
The mechanism of carcinogenesis in MPM involves multiple factors. Inhaled asbestos fibers migrate to the pleura where they cause irritation and a repeated cycle of tissue damage and repair. Oxygen free radicals, released by asbestos fibres when phagocytosed by macrophages, causes intra-cellular DNA damage and abnormal repair. The Asbestos fibres also penetrate mesothelial cells, where they interfere with mitosis, generate mutations in DNA and alter chromosome structure. Asbestos-exposed mesothelial cells release inflammatory cytokines creating a microenvironment ideal for tumour growth. Lastly, asbestos induces the phosphorylation of various protein kinases which leads to increased expression of proto-oncogenes and further promotion of abnormal cellular proliferation.
To date, MPM biomarkers have been found to be imperfect and of limited clinical use. As the prognosis of MPM is still poor, it is vital to develop useful predictive and prognostic biomarkers to aid in diagnosis and treatment. This Research Topic aims to improve our understanding of the diagnostics, molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for MPM. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- Molecular mechanisms of MPM carcinogenesis
- Novel diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers for MPM
- Therapeutic strategies for MPM including, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) will not be accepted in any of the sections of Frontiers in Oncology.
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy of the pleural surface that represents around 90% of all mesothelioma cases diagnosed. It is an aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis, and relatively few treatment options. MPM is predominantly caused by prior asbestos exposure. There is a long latency period between first exposure to diagnosis, which explains why the full effects of banning asbestos in the workplace is not yet evident and the disease incidence is still high. Due to continued unregulated asbestos use in countries such as India, Brazil and Russia, MPM will continue to represent a significant global health concern even after peak incidence has passed in other countries.
The mechanism of carcinogenesis in MPM involves multiple factors. Inhaled asbestos fibers migrate to the pleura where they cause irritation and a repeated cycle of tissue damage and repair. Oxygen free radicals, released by asbestos fibres when phagocytosed by macrophages, causes intra-cellular DNA damage and abnormal repair. The Asbestos fibres also penetrate mesothelial cells, where they interfere with mitosis, generate mutations in DNA and alter chromosome structure. Asbestos-exposed mesothelial cells release inflammatory cytokines creating a microenvironment ideal for tumour growth. Lastly, asbestos induces the phosphorylation of various protein kinases which leads to increased expression of proto-oncogenes and further promotion of abnormal cellular proliferation.
To date, MPM biomarkers have been found to be imperfect and of limited clinical use. As the prognosis of MPM is still poor, it is vital to develop useful predictive and prognostic biomarkers to aid in diagnosis and treatment. This Research Topic aims to improve our understanding of the diagnostics, molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for MPM. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- Molecular mechanisms of MPM carcinogenesis
- Novel diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers for MPM
- Therapeutic strategies for MPM including, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) will not be accepted in any of the sections of Frontiers in Oncology.
