Thoracic surgeon Dr. Robert Cameron and the Pacific Mesothelioma Center moved closer to a major treatment advance by obtaining U.S. patent approval for their novel mesenchymal stem cell research program.
The patent approval in February makes the research program more attractive to potential investors who could accelerate development and change the way malignant mesothelioma is treated.
“This is a big deal in the developmental path for MSC [mesenchymal stem cell] therapy,” Patent Adviser Dr. Walid Sabbagh told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “The patent is a pathway to really help these cancer patients. It becomes a platform for the future.”
Mesenchymal stem cells already are used to treat some autoimmune diseases.
The center’s research program is now testing them as a vehicle to carry molecular and gene therapies directly to the mesothelioma tumor sites.
