The “MoMar“ project (molecular markers for early detection of cancer) deals with the development of molecular markers for the early detection of asbestos-related cancer of the lung and pleura and their validation in medical practice. Mesothelioma, a pleural cancer caused by asbestos, constitutes a major occupational health issue owing to its long latency and rising number of cases. Substantial research efforts are therefore still needed. The objective of the prevention study is to validate new molecular markers for early detection in high-risk collectives using a longitudinal design. The markers are determined non-invasively in blood or other body fluids. In addition, the method does not involve radiation exposure for the patient, in contrast to some imaging methods. The markers have the potential to complement radiological methods and may help to reduce radiation exposure. The high-risk collective comprises more than 2,700 workers formerly exposed to asbestos and exhibiting asbestosis, who were recruited from 2008 until 2017 and examined annually over a period of up to ten years.
In contrast to previous approaches, the prospective study of high-risk collectives enables biomarkers for early detection to be evaluated under substantially more realistic conditions for use in medical practice. So far, the proteins calretinin and mesothelin have been validated as tumor markers for the early detection of mesothelioma.
The combined markers are able to detect almost 50% of mesothelioma cases up to a year before classical diagnosis, with only 2% false-positive test results. In the future, the more than 180,000 aliquots of blood and plasma samples that have been stored in a biobank will serve as a valuable source for the validation of other new biomarkers.
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New technology for the development of molecular markers (PDF, 1.8 MB, non-accessible)
Weber DG, Casjens S, Brik A, Raiko I, Lehnert M, Taeger D, Gleichenhagen J, Kollmeier J, Bauer TT, Brüning T, Johnen G. Circulating long non-coding RNA GAS5 (growth arrest-specific transcript 5) as a complement marker for the detection of malignant mesothelioma using liquid biopsies. Biomark Res. 2020 ;8:15. DOI: 10.1186/s40364-020-00194-4
IPA-Journal 01/2020: Biomarker der MoMar-Studie zugelassen (PDF, 266 kB, accessible)
Presseerklärung "Früherkennung von Mesotheliomen nun erstmals möglich"
Johnen G, Burek K, Raiko I, Wichert K, Pesch B, Weber DG, Lehnert M, Casjens S, Hagemeyer O, Taeger D, Brüning T & MoMar Stduy Group. Prediagnostic detection of mesothelioma by circulating calretinin and mesothelin – a case-control comparison nested into a prospective cohort of asbestos-exposed workers. Sci Rep. 2018 Sep 25; 8:14321. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-32315-3
Johnen G, Burek K, Raiko I, Wichert K, Pesch B, Weber DG, Lehnert M, Casjens S, Hagemeyer O, Taeger D, Brüning T. Prediagnostic detection of mesothelioma by circulating calretinin and mesothelin - a case-control comparison nested into a prospective cohort of asbestos-exposed workers. Scientific Rep 2018; 1: 14321
Johnen G, Gawrych K, Raiko I, Casjens S, Pesch B, Weber DG, Taeger D, Lehnert M, Kollmeier J, Bauer T, Musk AW, Robinson BWS, Brüning T, Creaney J, Performance of calretinin as a blood-based biomarker for mesothelioma, BMC Canc 17: 386 (2017)
Raiko I, Rihs HP, Gleichenhagen J, Sander I, Kollmeier J, Lehnert M, Brüning T, Johnen G, A recombinant polypeptide of the megakaryocyte potentiating factor is a potential biomarker in plasma for the detection of mesothelioma, BBRC 486: 526-532 (2017)
Weber DG, Gawrych K, Casjens S, Brik A, Lehnert M, Taeger D, Pesch B, Kollmeier J, Bauer TT, Johnen G, Brüning T, Circulating miR-132-3p as a candidate diagnostic biomarker for malignant mesothelioma, Disease Markers 2017: 9280170 (2017)
IPA-Journal 03/2013: "Asbest wird uns noch lange begleiten" (PDF, 206 kB, non-accessible)