Asbestos exposure is one the main causes of mesothelioma and other health problems. Mesothelioma is a deadly lung cancer that affects the lining of the heart, lungs, and abdominal region. When inhaled, asbestos fibers become lodged in the body and cause dangerous malignant mesothelioma. While asbestos exposure has been linked to this deadly disease for quite some time, scientists are still unsure how exactly the fibers cause the cancer to develop.
A study based in Italy led by Lorella Pascolo used synchrotron soft X-ray imaging and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) microscopy to examine the chemical makeup of affected mesothelioma areas. The study revealed potential ways that these chemicals could dictate how the body reacts to foreign asbestos fibers.
The imaging techniques used in this study provide a greater depth than previously used techniques, revealing deeply-buried material that electron or optical microscopes could not locate. This technique provides a more comprehensive chemical analysis of fibers and the internal mechanisms that occur once the fibers embed themselves and begin damaging tissue.
Medical professionals believe that the body creates a casing around the fibers to protect the surrounding tissue. This is collectively called the "asbestos body" by experts, and it is thought to be a protective mechanism. The Italian experiment sought to differentiate between the fibers and the casing by measuring silicon, iron, oxygen and magnesium content. The fibers themselves tested high in silicon while the casing areas tested high in iron, oxygen and magnesium.
Tissue surrounding the asbestos body also tested high in iron and magnesium which lead researchers to believe that iron may evoke oxidative stress that could lead to cellular damage. The researchers also inferred that the presence of these metals in asbestos fibers may be responsible for its carcinogenic nature. The two most carcinogenic forms of asbestos- crocidolite and amosite fibers- contain up to 30 percent of iron in weight. It has been suggested that iron-rich proteins resulting from the lodged fibers could increase DNA damage which could lead to cancerous tissues. However, this idea has not been confirmed yet.
In the United Sates alone, approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. The cancer is terminal as there is currently no cure for the disease and those diagnosed with are given a life-expectancy of less than one year.
Researchers hope that the results of this study will create a better understanding of the role of chemical elements in the development of mesothelioma cancer. The procedure used in this study is expected to advance cellular-level investigations of mesothelioma, while a better understanding of the body's reaction to mesothelioma may lead to more effective treatments for the disease.
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