Overview of the biochemical and genetic processes in malignant mesothelioma

Our plain-English summary of Overview of the biochemical and genetic processes in malignant mesothelioma, by L.V. Assis, M.C. Isoldi (Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia, 2014).

The study

• Authors: L.V. Assis, M.C. Isoldi
• Journal: Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia
• Published: 2014;40(4):429-42
• Type of article: Review
• Language: Portuguese
• Cited by: 10 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive form of cancer, has a long latency period, and is resistant to chemotherapy. It is extremely fatal, with a mean survival of less than one year. The development of MM is strongly correlated with exposure to asbestos and with other factors, such as erionite and simian virus 40 [corrected]. Although various countries have banned the use of asbestos, MM has proven to be difficult to control and there appears to be a trend toward an increase in its incidence in the years to come. In Brazil, MM has not been widely studied from a genetic or biochemical standpoint. In addition, there have been few epidemiological studies of the disease, and the profile of its incidence has yet to be well established in the Brazilian population. The objective of this study was to review the literature regarding the processes of malignant transformation, as well as the respective mechanisms of tumorigenesis, in MM.

In plain English

This article is a review, from two Brazilian universities, of published research on the genetic and biochemical changes involved in malignant mesothelioma. It collected no new data, and the authors stated that reviewing the role of asbestos, erionite and simian virus 40 was outside its scope. Summarizing the literature, the authors reported that the p16INK4a and p14ARF genes are deleted in 80-90% of mesothelioma cases. They reported that NF2 inactivation was found in about 40% of cases and that somatic BAP1 mutations occur in about 20%. Inherited (germline) BAP1 mutations were found in families with a high incidence of mesothelioma. The authors called the roles of TP53 and PTEN in mesothelioma controversial and named the PI3K/Akt/mTOR, Ras/MAPK, Bcl, Hippo and Wnt pathways as the most altered. They noted that chrysotile is still used in Brazil and wrote that its dangers cannot be ignored. The authors concluded that mesothelioma is highly aggressive, with very low survival rates. They called for more studies in Brazil, where its real incidence remains unknown.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Narrative literature review (no new data collected)
• Who was studied: Published literature on the genes and biochemical pathways involved in malignant mesothelioma; the review was carried out at the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of Ouro Preto, Brazil
• Exposure: Not a subject of the review: the authors state they did not review the role of asbestos or other environmental exposures
• Main results:
  • From the literature: p16INK4a and p14ARF are deleted in 80-90% of mesothelioma cases
  • From the literature: about 70% of epithelial mesothelioma cases and nearly 100% of biphasic or sarcomatoid cases show changes in p16INK4a and p14ARF
  • From the literature: NF2 inactivation was reported in the mid-1990s in about 40% of mesothelioma cases, and NF2 alterations are described as the second most common alteration in mesothelioma
  • From the literature: germline BAP1 mutations were found in families with a high incidence of mesothelioma, forming a syndrome that predisposes to mesothelioma, uveal melanoma and possibly other cancers
  • From the literature: somatic BAP1 mutations have been identified in about 20% of mesothelioma cases
  • The roles of TP53 and PTEN in mesothelioma are described as controversial
  • The PI3K/Akt/mTOR, Ras/MAPK, Bcl, Hippo and Wnt pathways are described as the most altered pathways in mesothelioma
  • The authors noted that chrysotile is still used in several countries including Brazil, did not discuss the chrysotile controversy, and stated that its dangers cannot be ignored and that chrysotile and other asbestos types are classified as human carcinogens
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that malignant mesothelioma is highly aggressive with a long latency period and very low survival rates. They concluded that more research on its genes and pathways, and more epidemiological studies in Brazil, are needed.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors state the review was not meant to be extensive
  • The authors state that factors such as asbestos, erionite and simian virus 40 exposure were outside the review's scope

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Lung cancer, Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Malignant Mesothelioma, Latency, Chemotherapy, erionite, Malignant Transformation, Tumorigenesis.

Related studies

• Genetic factors in the aetiology of malignant mesothelioma — M. Huncharek (1995)
• Chronic infections and inflammatory processes as cancer risk factors: possible role of nitric oxide in carcinogenesis — H. Ohshima, H. Bartsch (1994)
• Neoplastic and inflammatory processes of the peritoneum, omentum, and mesentery: diagnosis with CT — J.E. Hamrick-Turner, M.V. Chiechi, et al. (1992)
• Inflammatory and neoplastic processes of the lung: differential diagnosis and pitfalls in FNA biopsies — J.F. Silverman (1995)
• An update on the detoxification processes for silica particles and asbestos fibers: successess and limitations — M. Gulumian (2005)
• An environmental survey in chrysotile asbestos milling processes in India — A.K. Mukherjee, H.R. Rajmohan, et al. (1992)

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