The study indicated a possible “genetic response” by cells within the lung cavity when exposed to crocidolite asbestos. The scientific approach utilized by researchers is known as “systems biology,” and is considered to be a more “holistic” approach to observing cellular reactions. Multiple genes are studied at one time in an attempt to figure out what really happens when human lung epithelial cells are exposed to asbestos. The study profiled various cellular processes, including the cell cycle, cell death and growth, proliferation, and gene expression. Researchers also studied the many phases of cancer development and noted the genetic errors that contributed to the onset of mesothelioma.
BMC Genetics scientists noted a “complex interplay among the genetic responses to asbestos” and count their findings as a step towards eventually finding a cure for this disease. Mesothelioma cancer does not presently have a cure, and despite various mesothelioma treatment methods, the survival rate associated with the disease is less than 1%.
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