Exposure of the cause of asbestos

2008/06/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Medikuntza

For many years the harmful effect of asbestos has been known. Experts knew it has to do with diseases like some types of cancer, but they didn't know how it was going to cause the damage. Now, researchers at the University of Lausanne have clarified the mechanism: asbestos activates a group of proteins that cause inflammation. In people with prolonged exposure to asbestos, this effect becomes chronic and can eventually cause serious problems such as lung cancer. Knowing this, the next question is whether certain anti-inflammatory drugs are effective against the action of asbestos. It is not entirely clear that the answer is affirmative.