Asbestos answers

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the membranes that cover the lungs. It can be caused by exposure to asbestos and can arise 35 to 40 years after the exposure occurred. Australia has the highest per capita incidence of mesothelioma in the world and it is estimated to by 2020 some 18 000 Australians will have died of the disease. While moves to make the world free of asbestos are to be supported it is also important that we continue to search for answers to the disease that it causes. In this light new research that has come from a collaboration of international Universities across the United States and Europe is very important indeed. These researchers wanted to find an answer to why asbestos fibres which are known to kill cells could cause cancer since a dead cell should not be able to form a tumour. They did find an answer and it may point to future treatment possibilities for mesothelioma which is largely untreatable at the moment. They found that when asbestos kills cells, those cells that are killed then release a protein called HMGB1 (high mobility group box 1). This HMGB1 in turn produces an inflammatory reaction that releases factors and mutagens that promote tumour growth. These researchers found that people exposed to asbestos do have elevated levels of HMGB1 in their blood. In theory it may be possible to identify people at risk by measuring HMGB1 levels and then interfering with the inflammatory response caused by asbestos to reduce the incidence of cancer. A clinical trial is now being planned for Cappadocia (Turkey) where more than 50 per cent of the population dies of mesothelioma. With tens of millions of people having been exposed to asbestos worldwide it is to be hoped that the theory proves fruitful in practice.Meanwhile if you visit Meijer Ad that contains mostly likewise discounts with Winn Dixie Ad you surely have a range like ALDI Ad.