Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is generally associated with inhalation or ingestion of carcinogenic fibers such as those found in asbestos. Most victims of mesothelioma are people who worked in industries that brought them into daily contact with asbestos-containing materials, such as automobile manufacturing, manufacture of vinyl tiling, and installation of insulation materials (as in construction work). This has led to thousands of mesothelioma lawsuits against companies for negligent asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma may affect the lungs, heart, abdominal cavity and in some extremely rare cases, the male reproductive organs. Due to its extremely long latency period, mesothelioma is often not diagnosed until years or even decades have passed since a person’s last asbestos exposure. This presents a challenge to the medical community in trying to find an effective treatment for patients, as mesothelioma is a very aggressive, fast-growing cancer.

There is currently no known cure for any type of mesothelioma. Although it tends to lie dormant for several decades, once mesothelioma symptoms start to surface, it becomes an extremely progressive disease, leading to a poor outlook for patients.

However, new research is always being conducted to investigate new therapies for this devastating disease. One of the therapies now being studied is that of Naftopidil treatment.

Blood Pressure Drug May Treat Mesothelioma

Japanese researchers say a medicine currently used to treat high blood pressure may have the potential to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Respiratory medicine doctors with Hyogo College of Medicine in Nishinomiya, Japan, tested the alpha blocker Naftopidil on mesothelioma cells in the lab and in live mice. The study, published in the Journal of Pharmacology reports that Naftopidil drastically suppressed tumor growth in mice inoculated with these cells and suggests that Naftopidil may work by upregulating the expression of microRNA associated with mesothelioma cell death.

What is Naftopidil?

Naftopidil is currently marketed under the brand name Flivas in the United States. Along with helping reduce blood pressure, it also treats Raynaud’s disease and prostate conditions, including prostate cancer. It works by blocking the action of adrenoreceptors. However, with new research that shows encouraging treatment options for mesothelioma patients, Naftopidil may soon be known as the newest way to help battle the asbestos-related illness.

How Does Naftopidil Help Mesothelioma Patients?

A team of Japanese researchers studied Naftopidil’s effects on pleural malignant mesothelioma, and the results were published in the academic journal, Cancer Science. These results showed that a Naftopidil analog induced cancer cell death, resulting in suppression of tumor growth.

If future clinical trials studying Naftopidil’s effects on mesothelioma growth and spread show promising results, the drug may become available in the United States as a form of mesothelioma cancer chemotherapy. More research is needed to determine is Naftopidil may be a viable treatment option for the thousands of people afflicted with mesothelioma today, and the thousands of others who will be diagnosed in the future.