A team of researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Leeds has found a new potential treatment for mesothelioma, a kind of asbestos lung cancer: tiny gold nanotubes.

Around 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year, and there is sadly little that can generally be done about it. Indeed, mesothelioma is a particularly aggressive form of cancer, with the average life expectancy ranging from 12 to 22 months. For most people diagnosed with mesothelioma (usually at an advanced stage of the disease, too late for operation), mesothelioma treatment is actually centered around managing symptoms to be more comfortable.

“Mesothelioma is one of the ‘hard-to-treat’ cancers, and the best we can offer people with existing treatments is a few months of extra survival,” Dr. Arsalan Azad from the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research at the University of Cambridge told Science Daily. “There’s an important unmet need for new, effective treatments.”

Fortunately, researchers have made new strides toward a potential mesothelioma treatment. In a study published in the medical journal Small in late October, researchers showed how gold nanotubes inside cancer cells can actually kill the cells. How is this possible? The nanotubes can be tailored by the team to determine wall thickness, microstructure, composition, and even their ability to absorb particular light wavelengths. The nanotubes then absorb light, causing them to heat up, which in turn kills the cells they’re inside.

But how did the researchers insert the nanotubes into the cancer cells in the first place? They actually didn’t. Instead, the mesothelioma cells did that on their own, says Professor Stefan Marciniak, from the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research.

“The mesothelioma cells ‘eat’ the nanotubes, leaving them susceptible when we shine light on them. Laser light is able to penetrate deep into tissue without causing damage to surrounding tissue. It then gets absorbed by the nanotubes, which heat up and, we hope in the future, could be used to cause localized cancer-cell killing.”

There’s still work to be done before using the gold nanotubes as mesothelioma treatment, of course, such as ensuring that the nanotubes properly target only the cancer cells, with little damage to the surrounding normal tissue.

“Having control over the size and shape of the nanotubes allows us to tune them to absorb light where the tissue is transparent and will allow them to be used for both the imaging and treatment of cancers,” said Professor Stephen Evans from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leeds. “The next stage will be to load these nanotubes with medicines for enhanced therapies.”

What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, occurs in the mesothelium, the layer of tissue covering most internal organs.

Symptoms to look out for include:

• Chest pain
• Painful coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Unusual lumps of tissue under the skin on your chest
• Unexplained weight loss

Can I File a Mesothelioma Cancer Lawsuit?

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos—which can happen decades after the fact—you may be able to file an asbestos cancer lawsuit. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by cancer, nor can it bring a loved one back to life, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden too often incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

Filing a lawsuit and pursuing a mesothelioma settlement can be a daunting prospect, especially in the wake of a cancer diagnosis, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.