ABSTRACT
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Inhalation of asbestos fibers has been known for more than a century as a potent inducer of lung
cancer, mesothelioma, and scar tissue formation in the lung (Brody 1997). This latter disease,
known as pulmonary “asbestosis,” is a form of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and thus has
all of the hallmarks of this disease; i.e., increased extra-cellular matrix production, varying degrees
and types of inflammation, and proliferation of a variety of cells as the disease develops (Brody
1997; Mossman and Churg 1998). There currently are no effective treatments for any of the forms
of IPF (Selman et al. 2004), despite the fact that millions of individuals worldwide are afflicted. The
incidence of asbestosis has decreased dramatically over the past few decades as fewer individuals
have been exposed to the heavy concentrations of fibers required to produce clinical disease. This
reduced exposure has resulted from the banning of most commercial uses of asbestos in developed
countries around the world, although developing countries still use tons of fibers annually, and the
risk of contracting asbestosis and certain cancers remains high wherever asbestos remains in use.
