Asbestos-induced cancer and the power of combined treatments
Asbestos, the so-called magic mineral of the 20th century, was once used in everything from cigarette filters to surgical sutures. It was even sold as fake snow, covering Christmas trees and dusting Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz. But this miracle mineral left a deadly legacy. When inhaled, asbestos fibres gradually cause irreversible damage to our lungs, resulting in disease many years later. Sophie Rovers, researcher at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, investigates how we can treat asbestos-induced cancer.
Despite the now well-known health risks, asbestos is still used today in over 140 countries. Each year, thousands of people are diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer caused by the inhalation of asbestos. It forms in the membranes around our lungs. ‘Sadly, it’s also one of the fastest-killing cancers,’ Rovers explains. ‘Each year, over 30,000 people are diagnosed, yet only 1 in 30 survive beyond five years. With such a high mortality rate and limited treatment options, we urgently need new strategies. That’s why I’m investigating whether a combination of therapies can outperform the effects of each treatment on its own.’
Tumours don’t just grow – they fight back. Like skilled soldiers, they can literally ‘improvise, adapt, overcome’ when faced with anti-cancer treatments. ‘But we can make their battle harder by combining different therapies to attack them from multiple angles,’ Rovers goes on. ‘Tumour cells evade detection by the immune system by switching off certain immune cells. They are also able to form new blood vessels to fuel their growth. With these two strategies, they ensure their own survival.’ Rovers’ research focuses on a combination of treatments to stop cancer cells from applying these tactics.
Each year, over 30,000 people are diagnosed with asbestos-induced cancer, yet only 1 in 30 survive beyond five years. With such a high mortality rate and limited treatment options, we urgently need new strategies.
By injecting lab-grown mesothelioma cells into mice, researchers can observe how this cancer behaves under conditions similar to those in humans. Remarkably, by combining two different treatments aimed at these tumour defences, Rovers was able to slow tumour growth considerably. The combination also extended the lifespan of the mice far beyond what either treatment could achieve on its own.
‘While there’s still a lot of work to do before this approach reaches the clinic, these findings bring us one step closer to improving the lives of mesothelioma patients,’ Rovers explains. ‘My goal is a world where mesothelioma cells exist only under the microscope – and not in our bodies.’