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Preclinical Models in Mesothelioma

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Mesothelioma

Abstract

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. Clinical studies are challenging, so preclinical models are needed to improve our knowledge of the disease so as to develop new therapeutic options. Different in vitro and in vivo models are available. Primary and immortalized cell lines are useful to study genomic alterations, to identify possible biomarkers, and to screen new drugs, but they do not reproduce the tumor microenvironment. 3D cultures mimic some in vivo features better but still miss the complex links between tumor cells and host stroma.

Animal models, at least partly, address this issue. Asbestos-induced models are used to investigate the pathogenesis of malignant mesothelioma and unravel the role of different genes or pathways in tumor development and progression. Transplantable models, being more reproducible, are useful for pharmacological studies. The use of different preclinical models to confirm experimental data is strongly recommended to overcome their intrinsic limitations, possibly increasing clinical predictivity.

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Acknowledgements

Our preclinical work on MM is supported by Fondazione Buzzi Unicem. We gratefully acknowledge Maurizio D’Incalci for suggestions and critically reading the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy

    Ilaria Fuso Nerini & Roberta Frapolli

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  1. Ilaria Fuso Nerini
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  2. Roberta Frapolli
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Correspondence to Roberta Frapolli .

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  1. Department of Medical Oncology, Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital, Bergamo, Italy

    Giovanni Luca Ceresoli

  2. Scientific Direction, Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital, Bergamo, Italy

    Emilio Bombardieri

  3. Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy

    Maurizio D'Incalci

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Fuso Nerini, I., Frapolli, R. (2019). Preclinical Models in Mesothelioma. In: Ceresoli, G., Bombardieri, E., D'Incalci, M. (eds) Mesothelioma. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16884-1_6

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