A team of Scottish scientists are looking to solve one of cancer's biggest mysteries with a new project based at the University of Glasgow.

The group are seeking participants to help figure out why it can take decades for mesothelioma to develop after exposure to asbestos.

The project is funded by Cancer Research UK and led by Professor Kevin Blyth from the university. It aims to find a way to detect and treat mesothelioma earlier and investigate if the disease can be prevented.

It is a cancer that develops in the lining of the lung and is caused by exposure to asbestos. Only a small number of patients with inflammation of the pleural space go on to develop the illness.

Worryingly, only four in 10 who are diagnosed with the disease survive for more than one year and it makes it vital that there are new ways to detect and treat it earlier.

Asbestos fibres embed themselves in different parts of the lungs so the disease can develop at different rates in different parts of the pleural space.

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Researchers are now keen to recruit people in the Glasgow area who have already been diagnosed with benign inflammation in the lungs, who may have been exposed to asbestos.

Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Gartnavel General and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospitals in the city are among 28 hospitals across the UK currently recruiting patients, with the project extending over the next two years.

Eligible patients who attend these hospitals will be offered the chance to take part in the study and contribute to mesothelioma research.

Vital data and tissue samples from participants will help build a picture of who is at most risk of developing mesothelioma and identify any genetic differences or biological markers which indicate a predisposition to the disease.

Dr Alexandrea MacPherson, Meso-ORIGINS Project Manager at the University of Glasgow, said: "Mesothelioma is a disease of time and space - after initial exposure to asbestos it can evolve over decades at different times and different places within the pleural space.

"We want to understand why mesothelioma takes so long to develop and to discover new ways of predicting the disease so it can be caught early.

"Once diagnosed there are very few effective treatments so discovering the signs before it begins, and finding a way to prevent it developing, is key."

The disease has a poor survival rate and can take more than 40 years to develop. Early symptoms are often overlooked because they resemble other illnesses with chest pain, fatigue and constant coughing.

According to Cancer Research UK, the UK currently endures the highest incident of mesothelioma worldwide with the disease more prevalent in men due to occupation-related exposure.

Rates are significantly higher in the west coast of Scotland with around 100 of the 200 new cases in Scotland discovered each year in the region.

This is due to widespread use of asbestos between 1950 and 1980, particularly in Glasgow and surrounding areas as the material was manufactured in nearby towns such as Clydebank and used in industries such as ship building.

Research funded by Cancer Research UK revealed there are no safe levels of working with asbestos. This led to health and safety policies to protect future generations from mesothelioma and the charity continues to invest in finding new ways to beat the devastating disease.

While asbestos has been illegal to use in the UK since the early 1990s, mesothelioma cases have increased in recent years due to the long period of time it can take to develop, and asbestos remains legal in other countries.

Dr Catherine Elliott, Cancer Research UK Director of Research, said: "Mesothelioma, despite asbestos being outlawed decades ago, is increasingly being diagnosed and is in desperate need of more effective treatments.

"Cancer Research UK is delighted to support this research project which aims to shed a light on why it can take years to develop after someone is exposed to asbestos.

"Long-term in-depth research projects like this are essential to developing our understanding of cancer and helping us find ways to stop it in its tracks."