boosting immune system Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Vitamin E Can Boost Immunotherapy Responses by Reinvigorating Dendritic Cells

AHA Publisher — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 07:00:47 +0000

University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center via Newswise – HOUSTON ― Combining a retrospective analysis of clinical records with in-depth laboratory studies, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that vitamin E can enhance immunotherapy responses by stimulating the activity of dendritic cells in the tumor. The findings were published today in Cancer Discovery. The researchers demonstrated that vitamin E directly binds and blocks the activity of the SHP1 checkpoint protein in dendritic cells, which increases antigen presentation and primes T cells for an anti-tumor immune response. The results point to possible new therapeutic approaches to improve immunotherapy outcomes, including combinations with vitamin E as well as directly targeting SHP1 in dendritic cells. “This study broadens our understanding of factors that can influence responses to immunotherapies,” said corresponding author Dihua Yu, M.D., Ph.D., chair ad interim of Molecular & Cellular Oncology. “We demonstrated that vitamin E can reinvigorate dendritic cell antigen presentation via the inhibition of SHP1. These results indicate that vitamin E-treated or SHP1-silenced dendritic cells and dendritic cell-derived extracellular vesicles could be developed as potent immunotherapies for future clinical applications.” Vitamin E Connected With Improved Immunotherapy Responses Immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of immunotherapy, provide long-lasting responses for many patients with cancer, but not all benefit. There is a need to understand these varied responses in order to improve outcomes for more patients. Dietary supplements are thought to boost immunity, but little is known about the effects of supplements on immunotherapy activity. To explore the connection, the researchers performed a retrospective analysis of clinical data from MD Anderson patients treated with immunotherapy. Patients with melanoma who took vitamin E while on anti-PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors had significantly improved survival compared to patients who didn’t take vitamin E or multivitamins. This finding was replicated in an independent mixed cohort of patients with breast, colon and kidney cancers. However, patients taking vitamin E while being treated with chemotherapy did not experience the same benefits, suggesting the effects were unique to chemotherapy. Next, the researchers demonstrated that vitamin E enhanced responses to checkpoint inhibitors in immunogenic mouse models of breast cancer and melanoma. However, models with low levels of tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells did not benefit from vitamin E, suggesting the effects were dependent on these cells. Deciphering the Effects of Vitamin E on Dendritic Cells Dendritic cells are a specific class of immune cells responsible for presenting abnormal proteins — called antigens — to prime T cells, which is an essential step in the anti-tumor immune response. However, tumor-associated dendritic cells can become dysfunctional due to suppressive signals in the tumor microenvironment. The researchers demonstrated that the vitamin E treatment led to upregulation of several activation markers on the dendritic cells. Additionally, dendritic cells from tumors treated with vitamin E promoted more T cell proliferation relative to controls, suggesting vitamin E enhanced the priming step. Through molecular and structural studies, the researchers discovered that vitamin E enters dendritic cells and binds to the SHP1 protein — which acts as a checkpoint to regulate dendritic cell activity — to block its activity and enhance dendritic cells’ functionality to prime T cells. Blocking SHP1 genetically mimicked the results with vitamin E, leading to increased antigen presentation that stimulated T cell anti-tumor responses. Similarly, blocking SHP1 enhanced antigen presentation in extracellular vesicles released by dendritic cells – another important mode of communication between dendritic cells and T cells. Targeting SHP1 May Be a Novel Therapeutic Strategy As vitamin E appears to improve the antigen presentation of dendritic cells, the researchers investigated whether vitamin E could enhance responses from therapies known to release tumor antigens and recruit dendritic cell infiltration. Laboratory findings demonstrated that vitamin E treatment could augment the effects of cancer vaccines and immunogenic chemotherapies combined with checkpoint inhibitors, including in a model of immunotherapy-resistant pancreatic cancer. “SHP1 is an attractive target to effectively activate dendritic cells for the development of potent immunotherapy,” said lead author Xiangliang Yuan, Ph.D., research scientist in Molecular & Cellular Oncology. “This work yielded important insights on the interaction between vitamin E and SHP1 that will guide us to develop more specific allosteric SHP1 inhibitors. Compellingly, it appears that unleashing dendritic cells by inhibiting SHP1 may be an advantageous strategy to enhance antitumor immunity.” The research team is now exploring opportunities with clinical collaborators at MD Anderson to prospectively evaluate the effects of vitamin E in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and other immunotherapies. Team members also are exploring opportunities to develop a targeted SHP1 inhibitor as well as SHP1-modified dendritic cells and dendritic cell-derived extracellular vesicles as novel future therapeutic options. To read the original article click here.

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Discover the AMAZING Health Benefits of Echinacea

AHA Publisher — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 08:00:44 +0000

Wendy Miller via NaturalHealth365 – As days go by, more and more people come to realize that supporting our bodies’ natural defenses is the best strategy when facing invisible viruses and other potential invaders. Thanks to Mother Nature’s generosity, we do not lack natural ways to fight off viruses, strengthen our immune systems and maintain optimum health. Thankfully, herbs like echinacea do exactly that, bolster our immune system and help our body fight off a variety of illnesses. Echinacea Is Rich in Antioxidants, Boosts the Immune System Echinacea is known to be rich in antioxidants. Why are antioxidants important? Because antioxidants are potent fighters against free radicals that cause oxidation in the cells and control the free radicals found in our environment. Free radicals cause changes in the cells of our bodies that lead to various types of cancer and other health conditions that can be chronic and debilitating. Including echinacea in your nutritional regimen is a great way to get the antioxidants you need to boost your immune system. But Wait, There Is More! Echinacea Has Antiviral and Antibacterial Properties In addition to being rich in antioxidants, echinacea is both an antiviral and an antibacterial. Its ability to fight both viruses and different types of bacteria makes it an effective immune system supporter. Including it in your herbal supplements strengthens your body, making it more resistant to many of the most common illnesses we face. Thanks to its unique chemical composition, echinacea is one of the most potent herbs on the planet we can use to defend against ailments that affect most age groups. Reap the MULTIPLE Health Benefits of Herbal Remedies Several benefits can be gained by using herbal remedies to treat or even help prevent various types of illnesses and diseases. When combined with other natural remedies like olive leaf extract and goldenseal, echinacea can dramatically enhance the potency of the other components. Echinacea has few known side effects and boosts the immune system and other defense mechanisms within the body so that every ingredient in the supplement is used to its fullest advantage. How Should I Take This Powerful Herb? Echinacea can be found in many forms. You can purchase it in capsule form, which is suitable for adults. Many herbal tea formulas contain echinacea. Most teas that contain echinacea are safe to be given to children in small amounts. Tinctures are also made using echinacea and offer the maximum amount of antibacterial/antiviral protection when a few drops are added to a cool beverage. Don’t Forget About Living a Healthy Lifestyle In addition to adding echinacea and other herbal supplements, it’s also important to live a healthier lifestyle. For example, exercising three to four times a week for 30 minutes and walking on alternate days will strengthen both your body and mind. Eating a healthy diet will provide the fuel you need to stay active and fit. Relax and get the rest you need every day. At least eight hours of sleep is necessary to help the body reset, recharge, and repair itself daily. Bringing it all together and a healthy lifestyle that includes the most potent herbal remedies will keep even the most vigorous viruses or bacteria at bay. Do a little research if you want to learn more about herbal supplements, especially echinacea. You may “just” be amazed at what you will learn. Sources for this article include: Herbs.news WebMD.com MountSinai.org Healthline.com To read the original article click here.

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Countering Stress-Induced Immune Suppression with Diet

AHA Publisher — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 07:00:48 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – How might we improve immune function in children and adults under physical or psychological stress? “Natural immunomodulators”—compounds that might regulate our immune systems naturally—”are getting more and more popular. The popularity, however, often brings over-optimistic claims and mediocre effects.” Such mythical beasts have been sought after for centuries. The current market is full of all sorts of supplements “promising the golden fleece”—inexpensive and without side effects, yet actively boosting our immune systems. “Many are simply repeating claims with hardly any substantial scientific background” to support them. On the other hand, there’s beta-glucan, which has undergone more than 10,000 scientific studies and clinical trials. Wait, what? If you remember, beta-glucan is the fiber in nutritional yeast I talked about previously in my video Preserving Immune Function in Athletes with Nutritional Yeast, and it is able to decrease episodes of common illnesses in young children. What about in adults? But, first, why can’t researchers just come up with a vaccine against the common cold virus? Because there is no single common cold virus. Hundreds of different viruses are implicated in causing cold-like symptoms, which is why there is so much interest in finding a general, nonspecific immune booster that works across the board, as I discuss in my video Flashback Friday: Best Food to Counter Stress-Induced Immune Suppression. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is an antibody that plays a crucial role in the immune function of our moist membranes, such as our eyes, nose, and mouth. As you can see at 1:27 in my video, beta-glucan supplementation can increase IgA levels in the saliva within four days at a daily dose of 400mg, but not at 100mg. So, the effective amount is found in about two daily teaspoons of nutritional yeast, but a half teaspoon is ineffective. A single teaspoon’s worth didn’t do much until research participants exercised. As you can see at 1:48 in my video, two hours after a 50–minute bout of strenuous cycling in a hot, humid environment, those who had been on the yeast beta-glucan did get that IgA boost. However, beta-glucans failed to boost the antimicrobial activity of white blood cells of subjects who had been taking about a tablespoon’s worth a day, as you can see at 2:06 in my video. What we care about, though, are clinical outcomes. Do those consuming beta-glucans suffer significantly fewer infections? How about a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled nutritional study to see if yeast beta-glucan can improve our immune defense system? Sounds good! One hundred people were followed for 26 weeks. Fifty subjects got about a tablespoon of nutritional yeast’s worth of beta-glucan a day, and the other half got a placebo. Participants counted how many episodes of the common cold they got, and there was no significant difference. If you look only at the first half of the study duration, during cold season, there did appear to be fewer infections in the beta-glucan group, but going back and looking at your data after the fact is what’s called a post-hoc analysis, which is frowned upon by the scientific community because it increases the likelihood that your findings are due to chance. However, those who did end up getting sick while on the beta-glucan did genuinely appear to suffer milder symptoms, as you can see at 3:09 in my video. A similar, larger study had similar findings. The severity of the colds may have lessened, but, in the main analysis, there was no significant difference in the number of times people got colds in the first place. Indeed, “no significant differences between the treatment and placebo groups in the number of SRI [symptomatic respiratory infection] episodes” were seen in other studies, and there was no significant effect on upper respiratory tract infection outcomes either. So, overall, the results were pretty disappointing. But, wait a second. What about my previous video that I mentioned at the start of this article? The one about preserving immune function in athletes with nutritional yeast. In that video, I had discussed how researchers had found a significant drop in cold symptoms at two weeks and at four weeks after a marathon at doses of one teaspoon of yeast’s worth of beta-glucan a day and also at two teaspoons’ worth. Okay, the subjects had just run a marathon, though…but, wait. Remember the study where the effect only seemed to emerge after strenuous exercise? That’s where beta-glucan seems to shine: counteracting the toll that extreme physical exertion can have on our immune function. In an athlete, that may just mean some lost training or practice days, but for soldiers or firefighters, for example, maintaining one’s health—even in the context of heavy physical stress—could be critical. Yes, but that’s counteracting the effects of physical stress. What about mental stress? Stressful life events can impair our moist membrane defenses, such that “psychological stress [has] been shown to increase susceptibility to the common cold and increased upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) episodes.” So we’re talking stressed-out people getting more colds and worse colds than people under less stress. Can beta-glucan help in any way? Indeed, in a study of healthy women under “moderate levels of psychological stress,” those taking about a teaspoon of nutritional yeast’s worth of beta-glucans every day for 12 weeks were 60 percent less likely to report experiencing symptoms like a sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, or cough. “This strongly suggests that…yeast beta-glucan is able to counteract the negative effects of stress on the immune system,” and, as you can see at 5:24 in my video, the subjects on beta-glucan experienced 41 percent greater vigor, which is a measure that encompasses “physical energy, mental acuity, and emotional well-being.” So, they just felt better, too. When we put all the studies together, yeast beta-glucans do appear to have “an immune strengthening effect,” at least in children and those under physical or mental stress. KEY TAKEAWAYS Beta-glucan, the fiber in nutritional yeast, is able to decrease episodes of common illnesses in young children. The antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) is important for our moist membranes, including our eyes, nose, and mouth. About two daily teaspoons of nutritional yeast can increase IgA levels in saliva within four days. Yeast beta-glucan intake may improve our immune defense system, able to reduce the severity of colds. Two and four weeks after subjects ran a marathon, researchers found significant drops in cold symptoms at doses of one and two teaspoons of yeast’s worth of beta-glucan a day. Beta-glucan seems to excel at counteracting extreme physical exertion and psychological stress. Overall, yeast beta-glucans appear to have “an immune strengthening effect” in children and those under physical or mental stress. To read the original article click here.

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Insanity Exposed: One Business Owner’s Approach to the Pandemic & His Results May Shock You

AHA Publisher — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 07:00:58 +0000

Edit Lang via NaturalHealth365 – In a video titled Insanity Exposed, Jonathan Landsman of NaturalHealth365 interviewed Alfie Oakes, the Founder and CEO of Oakes Farms. Alfie, the owner of the number one grocery store in Southwest Florida, took a “different approach” toward dealing with the issues surrounding our current pandemic. Simply put, he decided not to require face masks or social distancing in his popular food stores in Florida. And, after over a year of having this policy, most people will be shocked to discover the results generated. (Watch the video below for details.) In addition, he talks about why he thinks the focus should be on teaching people how to strengthen their immune system – instead of relying on toxic (never before used) medical “solutions.” The fact that too many people still remain uninformed about how to maintain good health is tragic, to say the least. Enjoy the conversation below: Alfie believes what you put in your body every day makes a difference in how well your body can fight off foreign invaders. And, it turns out, Alfie makes some really good points. There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that by eating a healthy diet, we can greatly support a strong immune system. A brand new study published in the peer-reviewed journal of Nutrients confirms the connection between diet and immune health by stating that poor dietary status is “associated with inflammation and oxidative stress, which in turn can impact the immune system.” Numerous other studies have also reinforced that the state of our immune system determines how likely we are to feel well or not. Yet, we hear nothing about how to improve our diet from these so-called “public health experts.” Sources used for this article: NIH.gov NIH.gov This article has been modified. To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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