Piezoelectric Effects in Asbestos and Mesothelioma

Scientific Essay from the year 2017 in the subject Biology - Diseases, Health, Nutrition, , language: English, abstract: Mesothelioma is a serious and fatal lung cancer affecting people who have inhaled asbestos particles. The disease involves membranes covering the lung and inner chest wall (pleura), and to a lesser extent, membranes covering abdominal organs (peritoneum) and the heart (pericardium).

This paper proposes that persistent piezoelectric signals arising in asbestos could result in overproduction of collagen (fibrosis) and hypopolarization (lowered transmembrane potential-Vmem) of fibroblasts leading to mesothelioma. Psoriasis and autoimmune diseases may be related to problems with gap junction intercellular communication.

Some possible approaches to treating mesothelioma by either interfering with the piezoelectric effect of asbestos or by hyperpolarization of the membrane potential, Vmem, of fibroblasts are proposed.