Mesothelioma News: National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank
Posted on Wednesday, October 26th, 2016 at 10:54 am
National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank – February 2016
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) plans to give a five year (5yr) five million and five hundred thousand dollar ($5.5million) grant to the National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank (NMVB) through 2021.
The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank is a bio specimen registry made to facilitate the research of mesothelioma. It is the only federal funded facility specifically used for research on mesothelioma. The main goal of the grant is to help researchers come up with therapies, tools, measures and at the end a cure to mesothelioma. Currently, there is no cure to mesothelioma and as a result findings only can prolong life. It is estimated that two thousand to three thousand (2000-3000) people are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year. Most of these live for less than two years after diagnosis.
Mesothelioma News: National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank – February 2016
The bank provides researchers and the world with fresh frozen tissue, blood and DNA samples of mesothelioma patients. These samples are given for free. The goal is to avail patient samples and data for research to world researchers so as to come up with a cure.
The program’s main goal is to do the following:
- Keep and grow the program
- Join with other institutions and organizations in research
- Get more patients to be a part of the research
- Do studies to get useful information
- Keep records of different researchers who ask for samples and data
Limitations
Because mesothelioma is a rare disease and is not as prominent as other diseases such as breast and lung cancer; research funds are limited. While funding is a problem, research is also a problem as there are few people diagnosed with mesothelioma who avail themselves for research.
Dr. Ainsley Weston, associate director for science at the National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank (NMVB), stated that ‘a researcher with a great idea but no direct access to these types of tissues can get them here; this promotes research’.