Posts by: Janet Stewart, MSc

Janet Stewart, MSc

Janet Stewart is a life sciences writer and editor, who completed both PhD course work and oral examinations in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at McGill University, and holds an M.Sc. in Virology and Immunology.

August 11, 2017

Blood MicroRNA Levels May Help Diagnose MPM and Asbestosis, Pilot Study Finds

News

Researchers have found that patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and asbestosis — a chronic lung disease caused by asbestos inhalation — have low levels of certain microRNAs (miRNAs) in blood ... Read more

July 31, 2017

Ptac2S Is Better Than Platinol at Reducing Growth Rate of Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma in Mice, Study Shows

News

Ptac2S is more effective than Platinol (cisplatin) at reducing the growth rate of sarcomatoid malignant pleural mesothelioma in mice, according to a study. The finding comes on top of a study showing ... Read more

July 28, 2017July 28, 2017

AstraZeneca’s Mesothelioma Therapy Tremelimumab Disappoints in Phase 2b Clinical Trial

News

A Phase 2b clinical trial of AstraZeneca’s mesothelioma therapy tremelimumab showed no significant difference in survival times between treated and untreated patients. In addition, five of the treated patients — or 1 percent — ... Read more

June 30, 2017

Exposure to Cosmetic Talc Not a Risk Factor for Pleural Mesothelioma, Study Finds

News

A review of studies including workers of the talc industry and patients exposed to cosmetic talc showed that none of those studied developed mesothelioma, disproving reports that asbestos was present ... Read more

June 28, 2017

Cell Medica to Manufacture WT1-TCR Therapy for Mesothelioma, Other Solid Tumors in 2018

News

Cell Medica will begin manufacturing WT1-TCR cell therapy for solid tumors that have been difficult to treat with conventional therapies, such as mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. Cell Medica is planning to initiate ... Read more

June 22, 2017

PD-L1-positive Immune Cells May Help to Predict Survival Rates in EPMM, Study Says

News

A study that looked into France’s RENAPE Observational Registry, a database of rare peritoneal tumors, found that the presence of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) on immune cells in epithelioid peritoneal ... Read more

May 11, 2017

Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy May Be Safer, More Effective in Treating Mesothelioma

News

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) was found to be less dangerous and more effective than standard conformal radiotherapy in treating malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), a recent study reports. A team of researchers ... Read more

April 28, 2017

Chemotherapy Prolongs Lives of Mesothelioma Patients Who Relapsed Following Surgery

News

A Japanese study of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) who relapsed after surgery showed that additional chemotherapy after relapse prolonged their lives. The study, “Post-recurrence chemotherapy for mesothelioma patients ... Read more

April 27, 2017April 27, 2017

Curcumin, Found in Turmeric Plants, Seen to Shrink Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Tumors in Rat Study

News

Curcumin, a chemical found in turmeric plants, was more effective than suberanilohydroxamic acid, or SAHA, in reducing tumor mass in sarcomatoid malignant mesothelioma (MM) when tested in rats, and did ... Read more

April 21, 2017

Folic Acid Patterns Can Predict Mesothelioma Patients’ Response to Alimta, Study Suggests

News

Patterns of folic acid activity in mesothelioma tumors can suggest whether a patient will respond to Alimta (pemetrexed), according to a study. The patterns, which appear in biomarkers of the activity, ... Read more