You may have heard of asbestos—a once-common material used in construction, shipbuilding, and insulation. What you may not know is how deeply it can damage our bodies at the molecular level, leading to a rare and deadly cancer called Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM).
New research from scientists working with the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO) reveals how exposure to asbestos triggers changes in our DNA, laying the groundwork for cancer development. This study not only helps explain why mesothelioma is so hard to detect and treat early, but it also points toward new ways to fight it in the future.
MPM is a rare cancer that forms in the lining of the lungs (pleura) and is almost always caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. These tiny, sharp fibers lodge deep in lung tissue and stay there for decades—damaging cells slowly, silently. By the time symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, or fatigue appear, the disease is often in advanced stages and hard to treat.
Unlike some cancers that can be detected with regular screenings (like breast or colon cancer), there’s no routine test for mesothelioma. It also has a long latency period—meaning it can take 20 to 50 years after asbestos exposure for the disease to show up.
And even when it does, it can look like other conditions—pneumonia, lung infections, or general respiratory issues. That makes early diagnosis incredibly difficult. And difficult for lawyers to win their cases.
In the recent study, published in Experimental and Molecular Pathology, researchers analyzed public datasets of RNA sequencing (a type of genetic blueprint of how cells behave) from patients with MPM caused by asbestos.
Led by Professors Antonio Giordano (SHRO and Temple University) and Elisa Frullanti (University of Siena), the team found specific genes and molecular pathways that are altered in mesothelioma patients.
Some of these changes are involved in:
- Ion balance inside cells
- Oxidative stress (damage caused by reactive molecules)
- Disruption of cell structure and communication
These are all hallmarks of cellular chaos caused by asbestos—and they help explain how the cancer gets started and spreads.
This research is part of a growing effort to bring precision medicine to mesothelioma. That means creating:
- Better diagnostic tools that detect the disease earlier
- Personalized treatments based on the exact molecular changes in a patient’s tumor
- Risk prediction models that identify people more likely to develop MPM after asbestos exposure
“With further validation, this could translate into real-world clinical applications,” says Frullanti. In other words, these lab discoveries may soon guide how we diagnose and treat real people.
Although asbestos is banned or restricted in many countries, it still lingers in old buildings, homes, and industrial sites. It’s found all over cities like Tel Aviv. In parts of the world, it’s still actively used.
The World Health Organization estimates thousands of people die each year from asbestos-related diseases, many from mesothelioma. With no cure, and limited treatments, research like this offers hope—not just for healing, but for catching the disease before it’s too late.
Takeaway: A Silent Killer With a Genetic Footprint
Asbestos doesn’t just irritate lungs—it rewrites your genes. This study shows how molecular damage caused by asbestos exposure becomes a cancer blueprint—a map scientists are now starting to decode. With better understanding comes better tools, better treatment, and better chances for those at risk.
We may not be able to erase past asbestos exposure, but we can give people a fighting chance with earlier detection and smarter therapies. Stay tuned to Green Prophet as we continue covering the cutting edge of environmental health and precision medicine.
