Combined treatment with cisplatin and sirolimus to enhance cell death in human mesothelioma.

Objective: Although platinum-based chemotherapy is widely used in malignant pleural mesothelioma, its modest therapeutic effect warrants identification of enhancing agents. As with many cancers, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway is often activated in malignant pleural mesothelioma and has been implicated in the tumor's aggressiveness. Sirolimus is a well-established inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin.

Chromosomal deletion in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is associated with frequent deletions of specific chromosomal regions within 1p, 3p, 6q, 9p, 13q, 15q, and 22q. In this retrospective review of our patients with MPM, the tumor tissue of 40 patients (31 male and 9 female) was evaluated for chromosomal deletions and was karyotyped. Chromosomal deletions in regions 1p, 3p, 6p, 9p, 6q, 9q, 22q were observed in 22 of 40 patients (55%).