History

ABOUT THE PACIFIC HEART, LUNG & BLOOD INSTITUTE

The Pacific Heart, Lung & Blood Institute is a 501(c) (3) non-profit research organization established in 2002 with the overarching mission of becoming an internationally prominent umbrella organization dedicated to innovative research and treatment on heart, lung, and blood disorders. Since its inception, the Institute has focused primarily on laboratory research on novel treatments for mesothelioma, a debilitating orphan disease that remains largely ignored by medical scientists and public health officials.

The Pacific Meso Center was created in 2010 under the aegis of the Pacific Heart, Lung & Blood Institute to provide research and education on malignant pleural mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer affecting the lining of the chest (pleura). The motivation for establishing this Center was to provide accurate medical information and resource referrals to those affected by this disease. Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer diagnosed in an estimated 2,000-3,000 people in the United States annually. Asbestos fibers, though finer than human hair and invisible to the naked eye, are easily inhaled and able to travel past the lung and lodge in the chest lining (pleura). Damage to the pleura that eventually leads to mesothelioma occurs over a lengthy period of 20 to 60 years. This rare disease often goes undetected and is sometimes discovered only after doctors knowledgeable about mesothelioma have ruled out other potential causes of a patient’s symptoms.

In 2011, the Pacific Meso Center launched the first free-standing national mesothelioma research laboratory for developing innovative treatments that ultimately may lead to a cure for mesothelioma. Today, the Pacific Meso Center is the only public charity committed to promoting integrated basic and clinical research on novel therapies for mesothelioma as well as cancer prevention education for asbestos-exposed individuals. The Pacific Meso Center is associated with world-renowned mesothelioma programs such as UCLA’s Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program, headed by Dr. Robert B. Cameron, an internationally respected surgeon and research scientist. Dr. Cameron is widely recognized for his advanced lung-sparing surgical technique that has successfully extended the lifespan of many patients with mesothelioma, but without sacrificing vital lung tissue.