Mesothelioma Blog

The lowly leopard frog may harbor a secret weapon in the fight against malignant mesothelioma. Using a natural protein found in the leopard frog, biopharmaceutical company Alfacell has developed a therapeutic product called Onconase, which selectively targets cancerous cells and destroys them without harming healthy tissue.

In 2008, researchers from the Brander Cancer Research Institute and Department of Pathology at New York Medical College and Alfacell demonstrated Onconase’s ability to mark cancerous lung tissue for destruction. The frog protein-based biopharmaceutical triggers a natural process called apoptosis, which is a type of self-destruct mechanism that all cells have. Once the process is set in motion, the cancerous tissue dies, while leaving healthy tissue unharmed.

Onconase’s ability to target cancerous tissue comes from its affinity for specific proteins which are found in abundance in cancerous tissue while being relatively uncommon in healthy cells. In addition to triggering cell death, Onconase also shows the ability to sensitive tumor cells to other cancer medications, increasing their effectiveness.

Onconase has been placed on the fast track for development and has recently completed Phase III trials on patients suffering from malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a lethal form of lung cancer caused almost exclusively by exposure to asbestos. So far treatment options for the deadly cancer have been limited in effectiveness, and many produce debilitating side-effects.

If Onconase is approved for commercial distribution, the victims of malignant mesothelioma may have reason to hope that their cancer diagnosis will no longer be a death sentence. Who could have known that hope for mesothelioma victims could be found in the humble frog?