Detection of novel biomarkers for mesothelioma and development of novel therapeutic agents

Human malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive (fatal) lung cancer which is always associated with asbestos exposure. Typically symptoms do not appear until 20-40 years after the original exposure, with life expectancy then 12-18 months. Given the widespread use of asbestos during the 20th century and this long latency period, it is no surprise that cases of MPM continue to rise. Therefore there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic approaches for the treatemnt of MPM.
Currently, early diagnosis is a significant problem as it is only possible via biopsy and this normally only takes place once symptoms appear. The project proposes to investigate novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of mesothelioma, utilising the resources at the Ion Beam Centre located at the University of Surrey and will look at breath analysis and fingerprint analysis as well as biomarkers from tissues and tumours.