Asbestos-Induced Inflammation in Malignant Mesothelioma and Other Lung Diseases

Abstract

Asbestos exposure can lead to many lung and mesothelial cell diseases, including fibrosis and malignant mesothelioma. These are devastating diseases that are difficult to treat due to the long latency period and lack of predictive markers. Available literature shows that there is consensus among researchers that inflammation plays a significant role in the development of these diseases. Furthermore, there is a potential that early inflammatory signatures could be exploited as biomarkers for diagnosis and targets for treatment. This chapter reviews recent information, ranging from experimental disease models to asbestos-exposed individuals, that suggests a critical role for asbestos-induced inflammation in disease causation; this information has implications for the identification of novel predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets to aid in early diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-associated diseases.