On Monday, the Minnesota Senate unanimously approved a bill to allot $4.9 million for mesothelioma research related to Iron Range mining.  Now, it will advance to the Governor's office for final endorsement.

The bill had acquired national attention not only because of the significant monetary value, but also because of the Governor's initial opposition to the proposal.  Even though he believed the research should be conducted, Gov. Tim Pawlenty originally opposed the funding's source.  Last Thursday, however, Pawlenty met with Democrats to reach a compromise: the $4.9 million will be taken in four stages from a Department of Commerce-administered fund that is now running a healthy surplus, instead of from a worker's compensation fund.  Pawlenty feared that extracting from the compensation fund would mean premium increases for all businesses that feed into it.

The bill is now expected to pass smoothly.  The research, which will be led by state university campuses, is predicted to last five years.

In the race for a novel anti-cancer therapy drug between two firms, one company is clearly ahead.  Alfacell Corp., an east-coast biotech company, is in its second Phase III trial for a drug that uses an enzyme to interact with RNA to treat cancer.  Quintessence Bioscience, of the midwest, is developing a very similar drug, but has yet to even begin trials.  Quintessence is not concerned by their speedy competition, however.  On the business side of things, they believe attention garnered by Alfacell will help raise confidence in the Quintessence approach, encouraging investors to buy stock.  On the scientific side, Quintessence believes their product will be safer and more effective.

The two companies have comparable intentions, but different executions.  Alfacell is using an enzyme from frog eggs called Onconase, whereas Quintessence is using an engineered enzyme known as QBI-139.  When administered to mesothelioma patients, Onconase showed no effect on those with advanced disease, but it did increase the lifespan of patients in early stages of mesothelioma.  Because it comes from frog eggs, however, Onconase can spark allergic reactions and needs to be administered in closely-monitored doses.  Nevertheless, Alfacell is confident their drug will receive approval, and the company has already entered marketing contracts overseas.

Quintessence, hardly wary of their competitor's progress, believes more strongly in their own product.  QBI-139 is over 100 times more active that Onconase, is significantly less toxic, and because it is synthetic, can be administered with more dosage flexibility.  Furthermore, the enzyme stays in the bloodstream longer than Onconase, enabling it to fight metastasized cancers. Quintessence believes the product will enter Phase I trials on mesothelioma patients this summer.  Read the full article here.

As a follow-up to the last post, Dr. Rebecca Cline, also of the Karmanos Cancer Institute, made a striking presentation at the recent ADAO Conference. Cline brought to light a point often left in the dark: the mental tolls of asbestos disease can be as harmful as the physical tolls.

Cline has done extensive research on the psychological impact of asbestos in the vermiculite-mining town of Libby, Montana. Cline called Libby "the worst environmental disaster in the United States." Because of the slow-moving nature of asbestos, the community has had the drawn-out responsibility of trying to make their neighbors fare well mentally and socially in the face of devastation. Cline said that in this situation, a community will either become charitable and altruistic or plagued with conflict. Libby, unfortunately, experienced the latter.

In interviewing residents, Cline found that people fell into one of three categories: those who readily believed the mine caused disease, those who eventually welcomed the idea, and those who are still in denial. She also uncovered that the residents were reluctant to talk about asbestos-disease because of economic implications; miners feared job loss and citizens feared a decrease in property value. This stigma prevented communication between residents and it created a divide between those affected by the disease and those who were not. Those not affected assumed that the disease was fake, a part acted by money-grubbing hoarders. Victims, consequently, were afraid to talk about asbestos for fear of social isolation.

The denial, division, and deception in Libby prevented citizens from obtaining the safety they deserved. It stunted progress towards asbestos regulation and weighed heavily on the minds of residents. Clearly, Cline's message rang true: the emotional effects of mesothelioma rival the physical effects.

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization hosted their annual Asbestos Awareness Day Conference at the end of March. The conference featured several speakers and guests who shared experiences, research, and advice pertaining to asbestos.

One of the most notable presenters was Dr. Michael Harbut of the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers, a division of the esteemed Karmanos Cancer Institute. Harbut stressed the importance of early mesothelioma detection, emphasizing that catching the disease as soon as possible "helps people live longer and less painfully–and hopefully less tragically for the family." Harbut and a team of researchers recently discovered that certain indicative signs of mesothelioma can be detected in blood tests.

After Harbut presented, we heard from one of his success stories. Vietnam veteran Gary Stevens' treatment with Harbut enabled him to live a full life without the crippling effects of asbestos. Stevens said he vividly recalls his days on a navy ship where he would constantly see "crystal-like dust coming down from the pipes that would sparkle in the light," without realizing it was asbestos. He never even knew he was at risk for disease. Stevens visited Harbut's clinic in 1993, and spots were detected on his lungs in an x-ray. The early detection and treatment prevented dangerous fluid build-up and allowed Stevens to continue with a healthy, busy life.

Mike Skoler, CEO, of The Law Offices of James Sokolove, LLC speaks about the need for a comprehensive community resource center, such as the MesoRC, that allows victims of Mesothelioma and other asbestos related cancers to obtain information, resources, and support from leading mesothelioma authorities.

Furthermore, the MesoRC acts as a 'true' community by allowing victims and their families to connect with others through a discussion forum, read up-to-date news and developments on the blog, and even speak with a licensed social worker.

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