Treatment for pleural mesothelioma, a rare cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, may vary from patient to patient, but nearly all patients are eventually treated with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is considered the most effective single modality for managing the symptoms of mesothelioma. However, side effects from the toxic amounts of chemotherapy that are needed to kill cancer cells often leave patients vulnerable to infection, dehydration and exhaustion.
Vomiting, hair loss and weight loss are the most familiar side effects of chemotherapy drugs, but when healthy blood cells are killed along with the cancer cells lower blood cell counts can lead to a delay in treatment or a reduction in dosage levels until blood count levels rise. Low white blood cells can lead to dangerous infections, low red blood cell count may lead to anemia, and low platelets count may cause patients to experience bruising or excessive bleeding.
However, researchers at the Yale Stem Cell Center and Yale Cancer Center report they "have identified a method they hope one day will help cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy maintain a healthy blood supply."
In the study led by Jun Lu, assistant professor of genetics at Yale, the team of researchers analyzed the effect of microRNA's, short for RNA molecules that regulate gene expression, in the production of blood and the function of blood stem and progenitor cells. They found that when chemotherapy kills the cells, the blood cells may not be able to regenerate. Although red blood cells can be replaced through transfusions, according to the researchers, the platelets and white blood cells may not recover.
They found that one particular microRNA, miR-150, had an impact on the ability of white cells and platelets, depleted by chemotherapy, to regenerate. When mice had the miR-150 biomarker disabled they were able to more efficiently regenerate blood cells. When miR-150 was activated, however, the ability to regenerate was suppressed.
"We hope that finding specific microRNAs involved in blood formation will provide us ways not only to help cancer patients survive chemotherapy, but to make chemotherapy more efficient," Lu said.
This finding offers hope to mesothelioma patients who have limited treatment options. Being able to limit the toxic side effects of chemotherapy can mean the difference in survival and quality of life for those that cannot tolerate current chemotherapy treatments.
The findings were published in the October 18 issue of the journal Cell Reports.
