In the Minnesota Iron Range, the 59th case of mesothelioma among miners has been identified.  The high incidence of mesothelioma in the region prompted Minnesota lawmakers to enact a research bill alotting $4.9 million to asbestos studies.  The 59th diagnosis serves as further confirmation that their concerns are substantiated.

Politicians and researchers convened yesterday afternooon to discuss preliminary studies. Currently, the Natural Resources Research Institute is analyzing iron ore samples and dust in the air in Iron Range communities, to see how closely they match asbestos dust.

Next summer, research teams will randomly screen the respiratory health of 1,200 former and current miners and spouses in the Iron Range area.  This summer, past research is being gathered, synthesized, and analyzed.

The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics announced its 2008 research projects today. The partnership is a collaboration between the state, Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Stephen Russell of the Mayo Clinic is collaborating with Dr. Robert Krattzke from the University of Minnesota to develop virotherapy for mesothelioma. According to the goal of the project, the group aims to "get a measles virus developed at Mayo to target malignant mesothelioma, a deadly lung disease with poor survival rates. Some people in northeast Minnesota have 'substantial risk' of developing the illness."

The research will cost $867,114. For the complete research announcements, click here.

The bill to provide $4.9 million for mesothelioma research in Minnesota has been enacted.  Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the document yesterday, finalizing the long process of approval.  The research, which is expected to take five years, aims to explain why dozens of miners from the Iron Range have been struck with mesothelioma.  The funds are coming from the state's Department of Commerce and will be divided among state universities over time.  Read the full article here.

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.

The bill to fund mesothelioma research in Minnesota's Iron Range has passed the House of Representatives, but the governor has already threatened a veto.  Governor Tim Pawlenty does not endorse the source of the study's funding, but the bill passed by an 88-45 vote.

The research will be a collaborative effort between the state's University campuses at Duluth and Twin City.  The study will help determine the details of the relationship between taconite mining in the Iron Range and the instance of mesothelioma in miners.  John Finnegan, dean of the School of Public Health, said the research will be divided into four different studies, three of which look at the causes of death in the miners and the health of current and former miners.

"This is probably the best shot in 25 years to get the research done the right way," Finnegan said.  Read the full article here.