Doctors at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York have recently been conducting a clinical trial to test a Wilms Tumor-1 (WT1) vaccine to see if it delays or prevents malignant pleural mesothelioma from growing back after surgery. Don Smitley, a mesothelioma survivor, was a participant in that trial. Now, researchers at MSKCC have kicked off another clinical trial for pleural mesothelioma patients with malignant pleural effusion.
The accumulation of fluid between the thin layers of tissue lining the lung is known as pleural effusion. When the fluid contains cancer cells, it is known as malignant pleural effusion. A buildup of fluid is a complication that occurs in approximately 30 percent of the patients who have pleural mesothelioma or lung cancer, according to the announcement of the clinical trial.
Genelux Corp., a biopharmaceutical company that develops vaccinia virus-based cancer therapies, an emerging area of medical research that utilizes modified viruses to target and destroy malignant cancer cells, announced the treatment of the first patient in the Phase I trial designed to evaluate a drug known as GL-ONC1.
The trial is designed to test the safety of the GL-ONC1 vaccinia virus at different dosages and to assess any effects, good or bad, it has on the patient and the malignant pleural effusion. The agent will be administered directly through the lung cavity (intra-pleurally) as a single agent therapy.
"We are very pleased that researchers at MSKCC have initiated this important trial," Dr. Aladar A. Szalay, founder and CEO of Genelux Corp., said in the press release. "For the first time, this will allow us to examine the feasibility and effects of administering GL-ONC1 directly into the chest cavity to some of the most aggressive cancers of the thoracic cavity—including mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer."
Mary Hesdorffer, Nurse Practitioner and Executive Director of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, encourages mesothelioma patients to participate in this and other clinical trials to advance breakthroughs in the treatment of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer with limited treatment options and no known cure.
"Novel approaches based upon newly developed scientific strategies may lead to more effective treatments and ultimately a cure in this rare and aggressive disease," she was quoted as saying in the press release.
MSKCC is the world's oldest and largest private cancer center, and has a team of specialists including surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and nurses who deal exclusively with mesothelioma and other thoracic cancers. They are committed to providing the best possible treatments for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, and often conduct clinical trials and studies for mesothelioma as they continue to make strides in the treatment of the deadly disease.
According to the National Institutes of Health, clinical trials are at the heart of all medical advances. If you are suffering from mesothelioma, check with your physician to determine if any current studies exist for your particular case. Mesothelioma patients that participate in clinical trials not only help the medical community in general, but they can realize many benefits for their specific medical needs.
More articles by Nancy Meredith
Nancy Meredith is a blog and web content writer with more than 20 years of professional experience in the Information Technology industry. She has been writing about Mesothelioma for 4 years. Follow Nancy on Google+
