anti-cancer therapy Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Cells ‘Vomit’ Waste to Promote Healing, Mouse Study Reveals

The AHA! Team — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 05:36:33 +0000

Washington University in St. Louis via Newswise – Newly discovered purging process in gastric cells hints at how injury recovery can go wrong – The researchers dubbed the new purging process “cathartocytosis,” combining Greek root words meaning cellular cleansing. When injured, cells have well-regulated responses to promote healing. These include a long-studied self-destruction process that cleans up dead and damaged cells as well as a more recently identified phenomenon that helps older cells revert to what appears to be a younger state to help grow back healthy tissue. Now, a new study in mice led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Baylor College of Medicine reveals a previously unknown cellular purging process that may help injured cells revert to a stem cell-like state more rapidly. The investigators dubbed this newly discovered response cathartocytosis, taking from Greek root words that mean cellular cleansing. Published online in the journal Cell Reports, the study used a mouse model of stomach injury to provide new insights into how cells heal, or fail to heal, in response to damage, such as from an infection or inflammatory disease. “After an injury, the cell’s job is to repair that injury. But the cell’s mature cellular machinery for doing its normal job gets in the way,” said first author Jeffrey W. Brown, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at WashU Medicine. “So, this cellular cleanse is a quick way of getting rid of that machinery so it can rapidly become a small, primitive cell capable of proliferating and repairing the injury. We identified this process in the GI tract, but we suspect it is relevant in other tissues as well.” Jettisoning of waste Brown likened the process to a “vomiting” or jettisoning of waste that essentially adds a shortcut, helping the cell declutter and focus on regrowing healthy tissues faster than it would be able to if it could only perform a gradual, controlled degradation of waste. As with many shortcuts, this one has potential downsides: According to the investigators, cathartocytosis is fast but messy, which may help shed light on how injury responses can go wrong, especially in the setting of chronic injury. For example, ongoing cathartocytosis in response to an infection is a sign of chronic inflammation and recurring cell damage that is a breeding ground for cancer. In fact, the festering mess of ejected cellular waste that results from all that cathartocytosis may also be a way to identify or track cancer, according to the researchers. A novel cellular process The researchers identified cathartocytosis within an important regenerative injury response called paligenosis, which was first described in 2018 by the current study’s senior author, Jason C. Mills, MD, PhD. Now at the Baylor College of Medicine, Mills began this work while he was a faculty member in the Division of Gastroenterology at WashU Medicine and Brown was a postdoctoral researcher in his lab. In paligenosis, injured cells shift away from their normal roles and undergo a reprogramming process to an immature state, behaving like rapidly dividing stem cells, as happens during development. Originally, the researchers assumed the decluttering of cellular machinery in preparation for this reprogramming happens entirely inside cellular compartments called lysosomes, where waste is digested in a slow and contained process. From the start, though, the researchers noticed debris outside the cells. They initially dismissed this as unimportant, but the more external waste they saw in their early studies, the more Brown began to suspect that something deliberate was going on. He utilized a model of mouse stomach injury that triggered the reprogramming of mature cells to a stem cell state all at once, making it obvious that the “vomiting” response — now happening in all the stomach cells simultaneously — was a feature of paligenosis, not a bug. In other words, the vomiting process was not just an accidental spill here and there but a newly identified, standard way cells behaved in response to injury. Although they discovered cathartocytosis happening during paligenosis, the researchers said cells could potentially use cathartocytosis to jettison waste in other, more worrisome situations, like giving mature cells that ability to start to act like cancer cells. The downside to downsizing While the newly discovered cathartocytosis process may help injured cells proceed through paligenosis and regenerate healthy tissue more rapidly, the tradeoff comes in the form of additional waste products that could fuel inflammatory states, making chronic injuries harder to resolve and correlating with increased risk of cancer development. “In these gastric cells, paligenosis — reversion to a stem cell state for healing — is a risky process, especially now that we’ve identified the potentially inflammatory downsizing of cathartocytosis within it,” Mills said. “These cells in the stomach are long-lived, and aging cells acquire mutations. If many older mutated cells revert to stem cell states in an effort to repair an injury — and injuries also often fuel inflammation, such as during an infection — there’s an increased risk of acquiring, perpetuating and expanding harmful mutations that lead to cancer as those stem cells multiply.” More research is needed, but the authors suspect that cathartocytosis could play a role in perpetuating injury and inflammation in Helicobacter pylori infections in the gut. H. pylori is a type of bacteria known to infect and damage the stomach, causing ulcers and increasing the risk of stomach cancer. The findings also could point to new treatment strategies for stomach cancer and perhaps other GI cancers. Brown and WashU Medicine collaborator Koushik K. Das, MD, an associate professor of medicine, have developed an antibody that binds to parts of the cellular waste ejected during cathartocytosis, providing a way to detect when this process may be happening, especially in large quantities. In this way, cathartocytosis might be used as a marker of precancerous states that could allow for early detection and treatment. “If we have a better understanding of this process, we could develop ways to help encourage the healing response and perhaps, in the context of chronic injury, block the damaged cells undergoing chronic cathartocytosis from contributing to cancer formation,” Brown said. Brown JW, Lin X, Nicolazzi GA, Liu X, Nguyen T, Radyk MD, Burclaff J, Mills JC. Cathartocytosis: jettisoning of cellular material during reprogramming of differentiated cells. Cell Reports. Online July 20, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116070. To read the original article click here.

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Forest Bathing to Boost Anticancer Immunity

The AHA! Team — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 06:38:14 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Spending time in a forest, or even anticipating it, significantly lowers levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), more so than being in an urban area. Natural killer cells are one of the ways our body fights off cancer, and visiting a forest can induce a significant increase in both their numbers and their activity. I’ve previously shown how exposure to nature can have self-reported psychological benefits, but there was a dearth of data on changes in objective measurements, so I was excited to see this paper on the effects of forest bathing, “a traditional practice characterized by visiting a forest and breathing its air,” on levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the participants’ saliva. The level of cortisol in our saliva is considered an indicator of our stress level, and study participants’ salivary cortisol levels were significantly lower after walking in a forest or even just hanging out in one (“forest watching”), compared to walking or just being in a city, as you can see at 0:49 in my video Boosting Anticancer Immunity with Forest Bathing. However, the same effect was found before they went to the forest, too. Indeed, “forest bathing, in particular forest watching, was associated with significantly lower cortisol levels both before and after this practice if compared with visiting an urban area.” Therefore, it appears that just the thought of spending time in a forest relieves stress. So, “when comparing the effects of forest bathing versus urban visiting, the anticipated placebo effect…may play a more important role in influencing cortisol [stress] levels than the actual experience” of being in the forest. I was ready to dismiss this as just another nebulous psychological effect until I read this: “Studies on the effects of ‘Shinrin-yoku’ [forest bathing] on the immune function showed that visiting a forest can induce a significant increase in the number and activity of natural killer (NK) cells,” one of the ways our body fights off cancer. That got my attention. It all started with this study: Twelve men were taken on a long weekend trip to walk in the forest, and nearly all of them (11 out of 12) showed higher natural killer cell activity afterward. It wasn’t just a little increase either; they had about a 50 percent increase in NK cell activity after the trip compared to before they went to the forest, as you can see at 2:00 in my video. Now, exercise alone can affect immune function, but “there were no significant differences in walking steps before and during the trip.” The study participants were just walking in a forest instead. However, they were taken on a trip somewhere, which introduced other variables, so what about randomizing them to go on a city trip versus a forest trip? If there were some special forest effect, how long would it last? Do you have to walk in the forest every day? Before jumping into all that, let’s first see if it works in women, too. This study had the same kind of set-up, and the same kind of results: a significant boost in natural killer cell activity from walking in the woods. What’s more, this time, the participants were retested a week later, and their natural killer cell activity was still up. When they were retested a month after the trip their levels were back to baseline, as you can see at 2:45 in my video. So, walking in the woods once a week should do it, but the study involved a multi-day trip. Who can go to the forest all weekend, every weekend? How about just a day trip? The title gives it all away: “A Day Trip to a Forest Park Increases Human Natural Killer Activity and the Expression of Anti-Cancer Proteins in Male Subjects.” The same results and the same big jump measured the day after the trip compared to before and with the same staying power, as you can see at 3:08 in my video. And, natural killer cell activity was still boosted a week later. “This suggests that if people visit a suburban forest park once a week on a day trip, they may be able to maintain increased NK activity” and a boost in anticancer immune function. I’m still not convinced, though. How can you attribute the benefit to the forest itself, when all you have are before and after data? To make the case that nature had anything to do with it, you’d need a control group of study participants who took the same kind of trip but went somewhere else instead. And here we go. Again, the study title says it all: “Visiting a Forest, but Not a City, Increases Human Natural Killer Activity and Expression of Anti-Cancer Proteins.” By the end of the forest trip, the participants experienced a boost of 80 percent in NK activity after forest bathing, compared to only a 10 percent bump for the city walkers, as shown below and at 3:58 in my video. Both trips were matched for physical activity, alcohol, and sleep, too— other factors and behaviors that can affect immune function. So, we’ve got confirmation of boosted immunity, but only on the forest trip, “indicating that forest bathing does indeed enhance human NK activity.” Moreover, the researchers found that “the increased NK activity and numbers of NK cells induced by a forest bathing trip lasted more than 7 days, even 30 days, after the trip.” As you can see below and at 4:26 in my video, NK activity was still up a week later and even a bit up a month later. “This suggests that if people visit a forest once a month, they may be able to maintain increased NK activity. This may be important in health promotion and preventive medicine.” Now that we know that forest bathing induces a real effect, the next question is, Why? What is it about forests that give us the boost? (You can imagine Big Pharma wondering if it can be made into a pill.) We’ll find out next. The video I mentioned at the start is Are There Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature?. Stay tuned for the follow-up post: Why Does Forest Bathing Boost Natural Killer Cell Function?. For other ways to improve immune function, check out related posts below. Key Takeaways Spending time in a forest, or even anticipating it, significantly lowers levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), more so than being in an urban area. Forest exposure is associated with a notable increase (around 50 percent) in NK cell activity, which plays a role in fighting off cancer. After a single forest trip, NK cell activity remains elevated for up to a week, and, in some cases, positive effects last up to a month. A day trip to the forest can be enough to maintain elevated NK cell activity if done weekly or monthly. Studies comparing forest versus city exposure confirm that forest environments uniquely boost immune function, independent of other factors like exercise and sleep. To read the original article click here.

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Green Warriors: 14 Overlooked Plants Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment & Prevention

The AHA! Team — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 05:36:04 +0000

Patrick Tims via NaturalHealth365 – The plants around us are more than mere greenery. Traditional healers have recognized the powerful medicinal properties of various herbs and botanicals for centuries. Now, modern science is catching up, revealing the profound potential of these natural remedies in combating one of our most difficult health challenges: cancer. A new study published in Pharmaceuticals in April 2024 sheds light on how specific medicinal plants may help prevent and even treat various types of cancer. From familiar herbs to exotic species, researchers have identified plant-based compounds with promising anti-tumorigenic properties. Cultivating health: Medicinal plants with cancer-fighting potential While not all these plants can be easily grown at home, understanding their benefits can inform your choices in herbal supplements and traditional remedies. Here are some of the medicinal plants highlighted in the study for their potential to combat abnormal cell growth: 1. Hibiscus Hibiscus, a flowering plant, contains chemical components, including phenolic compounds. The dried extract of hibiscus is packed with phenols and saponins that inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells. Hibiscus also contains anthocyanin, which helps decrease the growth of cervical cancer cells. Aside from treating cancer, the plant also helps treat severe illness, neurological problems, and diabetes. 2. Moringa oleifera This plant’s leaves, flowers, and pods are consumed raw or cooked. Moringa oleifera leaves contain minerals, vitamins, and essential amino acids. The plant’s chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, niacin, and other components help prevent the formation and spread of cancerous tumors. 3. Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Kalanchoes are colorful houseplants that make stunning additions to dinner tables while also playing an important role in improving human health. Kalanchoe extract has cytotoxic potential that prevents the spread of ovarian cancer. The flower’s extract stops the cancer cell cycle with an exceptionally potent ability to treat metastatic lung cancer. 4. Silybum marianum L. This tree plant is commonly used as an herbal remedy in other parts of the world. Derived from milk thistle, Silybum marianum L. is loaded with polyphenolic compounds and more that prevent the formation of cancerous tumors. The plant’s components are potent against prostate cancer. 5. Curcuma longa This perennial plant hails from the same family as ginger. Curcuma longa is chock-full of several hundreds of active components you’ve undoubtedly tasted in curcumin. Curcumin triggers apoptosis, meaning the death of cancer cells. Moreover, curcumin decreases the growth of tumor cells. 6. Withania somnifera This immunological superstar, also called Indian ginseng, hails from the rugged mountainous terrain of Punjab. The plant’s derivative, Withaferin-A, helps defeat breast cancer. This economical plant is also effective in the fight against a wide variety of oral cancers. 7. Glycyrrhiza glabra Also known as licorice, glycyrrhiza glabra is commonly used by those who practice Ayurvedic medicine. This herbaceous plant contains hundreds of compounds, some of which prevent the expansion of carcinogenesis through cell cycle stimulation and additional processes. Glycyrrhiza glabra is especially effective in the battle against breast cancer. 8. Nerium oleander As a member of the Apocynaceae family, Nerium oleander is an ornamental plant with surprising medicinal utility. The plant has anticancer, anti-diabetes, and anti-inflammatory capabilities. The plant’s extract is particularly potent in preventing the expansion of cancer cells, thwarting the growth of nearly all tested forms of carcinomas. 9. Catharanthus roseus Also known as Madagascar periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus contains chemical constituents ranging from alkaloids to flavonoids. The plant also contains many other compounds that make it quite the potent cancer-prevention powerhouse. To be more specific, the plant helps inhibit the spread of an inflammatory enzyme dubbed “sPLA2,” which is a common biomarker for breast cancer. 10. Arum palaestinum This lovely flowering plant is laden with flavonols, C-glycosides, alkaloids, and more. Though often used for ornamental purposes in home gardens, the plant also provides utility for treating chronic illness, diabetes, stomach issues, and cancer. The use of Arum palaestenium to treat hepatocellular carcinoma reveals the plant prevents cancerous cells from proliferating. 11. Soursop This tropical plant is used to treat cancer and other illnesses. Soursop has bioactive substances, including phenolic compounds, alkaloids, and acetogenins, with inherent antioxidant properties that help in the battle against cancer. 12. Burdock Burdock, a nearly ubiquitous plant, has medicinal components within its leaves, roots, and seeds. The plant contains B vitamins, minerals, amino acids, lignans, sterols, and phenols. Burdock’s natural lignan lappaol F is a formidable cancer-fighting agent that thwarts the growth of cancerous tumor cells through the cessation of cell cycles. In particular, burdock is valuable for its inherent ability to inhibit the advancement of tumors including cancerous pancreatic tumors. Moreover, burdock has excelled in the battle against cancer cells that have resisted multiple drugs. 13. Stinging Nettle Nettle is a medicinal plant that tastes surprisingly good. Add some homegrown nettles to your salad or soup, and you’ll receive an infusion of vitamins C, B, and A, along with beta-carotene, protein, magnesium, potassium, and iron that help fight cancer. This medicinal plant’s anticancer qualities have proven effective against three cancer cell lines, including breast cancer. 14. Dandelion Commonly used for medicinal purposes by various cultures, dandelion is loaded with vitamins D, A, B, and C. Moreover, dandelion’s zinc, manganese, magnesium and iron are also beneficial. Data from Korean researchers reveals dandelion flavonoids and phenols help thwart the growth of cancer. Dandelion extract has proven especially helpful in combating the spread of breast cancer. Tap into nature’s medicine cabinet by including these plants in your diet The medicinal plants highlighted in this study offer intriguing possibilities for enhancing health and reducing cancer risk. While not all of these plants are common garden varieties or suitable for home cultivation, there are ways to incorporate their benefits into your life: Explore traditional herbal remedies: Many plants studied, such as Curcuma longa (turmeric) and Moringa oleifera, have long histories in traditional medicine. Consider incorporating these into your diet or exploring herbal supplements under the guidance of a healthcare professional. Embrace culinary herbs: Some cancer-fighting plants, like Curcuma longa (turmeric), can be easily included in your cooking. These add both flavor and potential health benefits to your meals. Seek out specialized products: For plants like Annona muricata (soursop) or Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle), look for teas, extracts, or supplements from reputable sources. Grow what you can: While not all medicinal plants are suitable for home gardens, some, like Hibiscus, can be grown in pots or gardens, adding beauty and potential health benefits to your space. Remember, while these plants show promise in cancer research, they’re not a substitute for professional medical care. Always consult with a holistic healthcare provider before making significant changes to your diet or starting new supplements, especially if you have existing health conditions or are undergoing cancer treatment. Sources for this article include: MDPI.com Planet-today.com To read the original article click here.

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Nutritional Yeast to Help Prevent Common Childhood Infections

AHA Publisher — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 07:00:56 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – The amount of beta-glucan fiber in just a dusting of nutritional yeast a day is put to the test in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial for the prevention of common childhood illnesses. In 1989, the late Charles Janeway gave a presentation that was to revolutionize our understanding of the immune system. He proposed that we must have some ancient innate first line of defense. We had known about vaccinations for centuries and how our bodies can learn from past infections, but he figured that was not enough: Our body must have evolved some way to recognize foreign invaders the first time they invade. He proposed that the way our immune cells discriminate between self and “nonself”—that is, our own cells versus invading microbes—may arise from pattern recognition receptors; we’re born with the ability to “recognize patterns of microbial structure.” For example, there’s a unique component of fungal cell walls called beta-glucan (β-glucan) that naturally stimulates our immune system. Our own cells don’t produce it, but fungal pathogens such as Candida do. Candida is a type of yeast that can cause serious blood infections, so it’s good if our immune system recognizes it right off the bat. Of course, you could stimulate the immune system by injecting Candida into your veins, but then you also might die. Luckily for us, non-disease-causing yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which include baker’s yeast, brewer’s yeast, and nutritional yeast, have that same molecular signature as beta-glucan. The drug industry is capitalizing on this “powerful immunostimulatory response” to develop new anti-infection, anticancer therapies, but does it have to be injected into the vein? What happens if you just eat some nutritional yeast? I discuss this in my video Best Food to Prevent Common Childhood Infections. Our digestive tract is our largest point of contact with the outside world, with more surface area exposed than our lungs and skin put together, so it is not surprising that most of our immune cells are concentrated along the intestinal wall. They don’t just stay there, though. Once they’re tipped off to what’s happening in the gut, they can go defend other parts of the body. That’s why you can give an oral cholera vaccine, for example, and end up with cholera-fighting immune cells in your salivary glands, pumping antibodies out into your saliva to protect against infection. What if we sprinkled some nutritional yeast on our kids’ popcorn for a snack? Might that help marshal defenses throughout their bodies? Adults tend to get just a few colds a year, but the average schoolchild can come down with a cold every other month—and what can we really do about it? Modern medicine has little to offer for run-of-the-mill common colds. Nevertheless, doctors still commonly prescribe antibiotics, which can do more harm than good. “Clearly, there is a need for effective, safe, and inexpensive treatment…[and] β-glucan can be just the right solution.” You don’t know, of course, until you put it to the test. So, researchers performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of about a half teaspoon of nutritional yeast worth of beta-glucan in children who suffered from repeated respiratory infections. As you can see at 3:17 in my video, after a month, they found a significant increase in salivary lysozyme levels compared with controls. (Lysozyme is an important protective immune component of our eyes, nose, and mouth.) However, a larger follow-up study reportedthe opposite findings, an apparent drop in salivary lysozyme levels. And, although the researchers claimed this was “accompanied by pronounced improvements in the general physical health of tested individuals,” no such data were provided. The only reason we cared about the lysozyme levels, though, was because we were hoping it would result in fewer infections, but there had never been any such studies…until now. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed to see whether the beta-glucan in just a dusting of nutritional yeast a day would reduce the number of episodes of common childhood illnesses. “During the 12-week course of the study 85% of children in the placebo group experienced one or more episodes of infectious illness.” If you go to 4:19 in my video, I show this graphically: Eighty-five percent got ill in the sugar pill group, but taking just an 8th of a teaspoon of nutritional yeast worth of beta-glucans or even just a 16th of a teaspoon’s worth appeared to cut illness rates in half. And those on the yeast who did come down with a cold only suffered for about three days, compared with closer to nine days in the placebo group. The researchers concluded that by giving kids these yeast beta-glucans, we could “decrease the incidence and severity of infectious illness during the cold/flu season, alleviating some of the burden on parents of caring for sick children,” too. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Greger click here.

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