Mesothelioma

Niraparib Efficacy in Relapsed MesOthelioma (NERO). A Randomised Phase II trial of Niraparib versus active symptom control in Patients with Relapsed Malignant Mesothelioma.

Addressing priority 4: Asthma and Lung UK funded research underway

Researchers at the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and University of Leicester are now testing whether a type of drug called a PARP inhibitor could be an effective treatment and give mesothelioma patients more time with their loved ones. PARP inhibitors have already been shown to improve the survival of patients with breast and ovarian cancers that carry specific mutations. They work by blocking a protein which helps repair damaged DNA in cancer cells, thereby causing the cancer cells to die.

CONFIRM trial

Addressing priorities 1 and 4: Cancer Research UK-funded research completed

The CONFIRM trial was selected as a “Stand Up 2 Cancer” trial and was highlighted on the Channel 4 SU2C funding event in 2019. It was one of the fastest opening Cancer Research UK trials – starting to recruit patients in less than 8 months from the decision to go ahead with the funding. The main aim of the CONFIRM trial was to evaluate the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of treatment with nivolumab in patients with relapsed mesothelioma. Results were published in October 2021. In October 2023, Nivolumab treatment was cleared for off-label use with mesothelioma patients in Scotland.

Find out more in these videos https://www.facebook.com/hyundaiuk/videos/283211282349766/ https://www.facebook.com/hyundaiuk/videos/293795651308209/

Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery 2: a multicentre randomised trial comparing (extended) pleurectomy decortication versus no (extended) pleurectomy decortication for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MARS 2)

Addressing priority 10: NIHR research in progress

In the UK, over 2,000 patients are diagnosed yearly with pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest wall and lung mainly due to previous (40 to 60 years ago) exposure to asbestos. This trial compares surgery (extended pleurectomy decortication) versus no surgery with respect to overall survival in patients with pleural mesothelioma.

MesoTRAP: A feasibility study comparing video-assisted thoracoscopic partial pleurectomy/decortication with indwelling pleural catheter in patients with trapped lung and pleural effusion due to malignant pleural mesothelioma designed to address recruitment and randomisation uncertainties and sample size requirements for a phase III trial.

Addressing priorities 10 and 13: This NIHR-funded small-scale research tested how feasible it is to recruit and randomise patients to a full-scale study to look at this question. The study collected information on how common trapped lung really is and examined quality of life before and after treatment as well as safety aspects. Patients were asked what they thought about the research in order to improve how the full-scale study might be run in future.

The following research has been funded by the British Lung Foundation and Mesothelioma UK as a result of the Mesothelioma PSP:

HypoxamiRs as a New Target for Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM).

Funded by a Mesothelioma UK/British Lung Foundation research grant

Translating BAP1 dependencies for precision therapy of mesothelioma.

Funded by a British Lung Foundation project grant

Immunotherapy for mesothelioma using ErbB re-targeted CAR T-cells in combination with PD-1 checkpoint inhibition.

Funded by a British Lung Foundation project grant

PRISM - Prediction of Resistance to chemotherapy using Somatic Copy Number Variation in Mesothelioma.

Funded by a British Lung Foundation project grant

Gli as a novel therapeutic target in malignant mesothelioma.

A PhD studentship project funded by the British Lung Foundation

Targeting BAP1 mutated mesothelioma via synthetic lethal disruption of DNA double-strand repair.

A PhD studentship project funded by the British Lung Foundation

In vitro evaluation of potential new chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of Mesothelioma.

Funded by a British Lung Foundation pump priming grant

MEDUSA – Mesothelioma Evolution: Deciphering drUgable Somatic Alterations as potential targets for synthetic lethal therapy.

Funded by a Mesothelioma UK/British Lung Foundation research grant

Genes in Cages. Design of Smart Capsules for the Delivery of Macromolecules.

A PhD studentship project funded by the British Lung Foundation

Understanding how EKR5 signalling drives malignant mesothelioma progression.

Funded by a British Lung Foundation pump priming grant

Combination treatment modelling for the immunotherapy of mesothelioma.

Funded by a British Lung Foundation project grant

Immunotherapy for malignant mesothelioma using IL-6-neutralising CAR T cells.

Funded by a British Lung Foundation project grant.