cancer cells Archives - Amazing Health Advances

New Research Promises Advances to Brain Cancer Treatment

The AHA! Team — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 08:23:36 +0000

Zachy Hennessey via Israel21c – By starving tumors of glucose, researchers may have found an innovative way of selectively killing cancer cells while sparing healthy ones. A team of researchers at Ben-Gurion University has unveiled a novel approach to treating brain cancer by targeting the survival mechanisms of tumor cells under glucose starvation. Their findings, published May 14 in Nature Communications, suggest that accelerating the metabolic processes of tumor cells during glucose starvation could cause them to quickly exhaust their energy supplies and die. Research head Prof. Barak Rotblat, along with co-lead researcher Gabriel Leprivier of the Institute of Neuropathology at University Hospital Düsseldorf, discovered that tumors have less glucose compared to normal tissue. The top priority of cancer cells might be survival rather than growth This observation challenges the belief that cancer cells are primarily focused on rapid proliferation. Instead, the researchers propose that the top priority of cancer cells might be survival rather than growth. Triggering a burst of growth under glucose starvation could lead to the cells running out of energy. Cells regulate their growth based on energy availability, synthesizing fats and proteins when energy is plentiful and halting these processes when energy is scarce to avoid burning out. Tumors are often in a state of glucose starvation. By identifying and disabling the molecular mechanisms that enable their survival under these conditions, the researchers aim to selectively target cancer cells while sparing healthy ones. New research promises advances to brain cancer treatment “We may be able to target just the cancer cells and not regular cells at all, which would be a very promising step forward on the path to personalized medicine and therapeutics that do not affect healthy cells the way chemotherapy and radiation do,” Rotblat explained. The team focused on the mTOR (Mammalian Target of Rapamycin) pathway, which plays a key role in regulating cell growth based on energy levels. They identified a protein within this pathway, 4EBP1, as essential for cells to survive glucose starvation. 4EBP1 inhibits the enzyme ACC1 in the fatty acid synthesis pathway, a mechanism that cancer cells exploit to thrive in low-glucose environments. “Our discovery about glucose starvation and the role of antioxidants opens a therapeutic window to pursue a molecule which could treat glioma [brain cancer],” Rotblat noted. The potential application of this research could extend to other types of cancers. Rotblat’s team is now collaborating with BGN Technologies (BGU’s tech-transfer company) and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev to develop a molecule that will block 4EBP1. This intervention would force glucose-starved tumor cells to continue synthesizing fats, depleting their energy reserves and leading to cell death. The research highlights a new direction in the pursuit of cancer treatments that target cancer cells specifically, offering a potential alternative to conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation that affect healthy cells. To read the original article click here.

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Can Delicious Food Help Fight Cancer?

AHA Publisher — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 07:00:22 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – Most doctors will tell you that cancer is all about damaged DNA. And that cancer malignancies are caused by gene mutations inside your cells, which lead to runaway cell growth and tumors. New cancer research is focused almost entirely on genetics. Sadly, they’ve got it wrong. The real cause of cancer – and its most effective treatment – was discovered by a Nobel Prize-winning physician and biochemist named Otto Warburg more than a century ago. Today, new studies back his 100-year-old discovery, and reveal that Warburg was even on the right track for slowing deadly brain tumors. Warburg understood cancer cells are starving for glucose. And that they fuel their growth by gobbling up enormous amounts of blood sugar. Healthy cells, on the other hand, fuel their metabolism by breaking down fat. But, cancer cells need carbohydrates. And the daily carb requirement for the human body is zero. So, it’s easy to understand why the enormous increase in carb consumption over the past 60 years has been accompanied by huge increases in the number of new cancer cases – despite improvements in treatments and survival rates. However, new studies reveal that cancer can be attacked with a low (or zero) carb ketogenic diet. You see, keto is high in animal fat and moderate in protein. But it’s very low in the glucose-spiking grains and other carbs most Americans consume in a typical modern diet. Keto is already well-known for helping people with weight loss and curbing type 2 diabetes. Now a study published in the July issue of Neurology shows that keto also boosts recovery in people undergoing treatment for astrocytomas, an aggressive type of cancer that develops in the brain and spinal cord.1 Meanwhile, recent research by cancer biologist Thomas Seyfried found the keto diet slowed the progress of breast cancer and glioblastoma, a fast-growing and deadly form of brain cancer.2,3 The good news is that following a keto diet is simple and effective. It contains little to nothing for cancer cells to use for fuel. Following a keto diet is simple. Click here to see what I recommend to my patients. Start Your Cancer-Fighting Keto Meal Plan With My Easy Rib Recipe Here’s a great keto recipe I use at home. These Korean short ribs are one of my family’s favorites. Ingredients: For the ribs: 5 pounds English-style short ribs 1 tablespoon Himalayan salt ¼ tsp ground pepper For the sauce: ½ cup Coconut Aminos Splash of soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 2 teaspoon fish sauce 6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 4 scallions, chopped 1-2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped Directions: Wash and dry the short ribs. Sprinkle evenly with the salt and pepper and rub in. Blend all the sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour some sauce into the bottom of a pressure cooker, then add the ribs — coating each one on all sides. Pour remainder of the sauce on top. Shut and lock the lid and turn the steam valve to the closed position. Program the pressure cooker to cook under high pressure for 45 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. If the ribs are not tender, cook for 10 more minutes. Transfer your ribs to a plate and pour your favorite sauce over them. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: 1. Strowd RE, et al. “Feasibility and Biological Activity of a Ketogenic/Intermittent-Fasting Diet in Patients With Glioma.” Neurology. July 07, 2021 2. Seyfried TN, et al. “Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy, Without Chemo or Radiation, for the Long-Term Management of IDH1-Mutant Glioblastoma: An 80-Month Follow-Up Case Report.” Front. Nutr. 31 May 2021. 3. Seyfried TN, et al. “Consideration of Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy as a Complementary or Alternative Approach for Managing Breast Cancer.” Front Nutr. 11 March 2020 To read the original article click here.

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Warning: Emotional Stress Increases Breast Cancer Risk

AHA Publisher — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 07:00:03 +0000

Dr. Veronique Desaulniers via NaturalHealth365 – The diagnosis of breast cancer is inevitably a very emotional event. As your mind races a hundred miles an hour, dozens of questions come to the surface. You wonder about your course of treatment, what the outcome will be and how you and your family will make it through it all. I deal with these issues all the time, and I can tell you that emotional stress does inhibit immune function and increases your risk of cancer. In fact, Essential # 4 of “The 7 Essentials System™” for healing the body naturally is about healing your emotional wounds as you work towards healing your body. But just what do the emotions have to do with breast cancer? Even the American Cancer Society Admits There Is an Emotional Connection to Disease Inquiry into the mind-body connection within the scientific community goes back further than you may think. Dr. Predergast, an eminent oncologist that was president of the American Cancer Society, said in 1959: “There is some evidence that the course of disease, in general, is affected by emotional stress. It is my sincere hope that we can widen the quest to include the distinct possibility that within one’s mind is a power capable of exerting forces which can either enhance or inhibit the progress of this disease.” Dr. O. Carl Simonton was often called the “father of mind-body medicine for cancer patients” and is best known for his pioneering research in the field of psychosocial oncology beginning in the 1970s. He developed a model of emotional support for the treatment of cancer that introduced the concept that a patient’s state of mind could influence their ability to survive the dis-ease. His emotional intervention program was even approved by the Surgeon General’s Office. While he was in practice, Dr. Simonton applied this emotional support program to his patients and saw improvements in survival time and quality of life. He believed that “emotions are a strong driving force in the immune system and other healing systems.” Understanding How Chronic Negative Emotions Can Trigger Cancer Cell Growth Research abounds that centers on the connection between the mind and health. The following are four common emotional patterns specifically found in people who have cancer. The list is based on the work of Douglas Brodie, MD: 1) A significant loss, such as divorce or the death of a loved one, between 6 and 18 months prior to diagnosis 2) Poor self-image 3) A strong tendency to hold on to resentment 4) A poor ability to develop and maintain long-term, meaningful relationships Emotional healing can help you heal from a cancer diagnosis. How does one go about healing lifelong emotional patterns? There are two must-haves as you start your emotional and physical healing journey: 1) The first must-have is the DESIRE for change. No change is possible without the intention to improve not only your physical life but your emotional and spiritual health as well. 2) You must also have FAITH. For many individuals, this also includes faith in a higher power. Whatever your beliefs, however, faith in yourself and the belief that you have what it takes to turn your health around is vital. In addition, you must also possess a strong belief in the course of treatment you have chosen. This Is Important: Get the Support You Need for Emotional Health Part of the emotional healing process is distinguishing what mind-body support you may need and then taking action to get that support. The practice of meditation is fundamental for whatever path you take. A study by Harvard researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital showed that meditation could actually rebuild grey matter in as little as eight weeks. The results were based on 30-minutes of meditation a day. One meditation tool I personally used after my own breast cancer diagnosis (and still do today) is called the Silva Method. Founder Jose’ Silva believed that 90% of illnesses originate in the mind and therefore can, to some extent, be reversed by the mind. After working with tens of thousands of students, Silva identified three essential requirements for effective mind-body healing: 1) Functioning at the Alpha and Theta levels: Going to the Alpha and Theta levels has the same basic effect as meditating. When someone meditates, scientifically they are reducing their brain wave frequency to Alpha or Theta. Jose’ Silva found that people who can remain at these levels are able to put themselves in a state where cells repair, stress dissipates, the immune system strengthens, and physical symptoms of illness are in some cases reduced. 2) Harnessing the power of healing imagery: Healing Imagery (or Visualization) involves visualizing the end result of your goal or desire while you are in the Alpha or Theta state. Visualizing the tumor shrinking and eventually disappearing is a powerful exercise! 3) Mastering the D-B-E thought process: The ability to “Desire, Believe and Expect” that healing will occur is the first step in making it a reality. When you commit to healing your whole body – physically, emotionally, and spiritually – and begin to act on that commitment, you will inevitably “see” real-time positive outcomes in your life. Why not give a mind-body tool like meditation a try – and “see” for yourself! Sources for this article include: BreastCancerConqureror.com HealingCancer.info SilvaMethod.com To read the original article click here.

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Triggered by Stress, Cancer Cells Learn How to Survive

AHA Publisher — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 07:00:56 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – What enables cancer to spread and grow in different parts of the body? How does it become resistant to drugs? In an opinion piece in iScience, Technion researchers Aseel Shomar, Prof. Omri Barak and Prof. Naama Brenner propose that cancer cells learn and adapt to changing environments in the body, actively searching for solutions enabling them to survive. This idea contradicts the common understanding that random mutations are what give cancer cells drug resistance and allow them to metastasize. However, the Israeli scientists saw mounting evidence from research groups around the world that these abilities may not be random at all. After all, treatment plans based on the random mutation theory have not significantly increased patients’ life expectancy. Obviously, cells have no brain. The learning process is triggered by stress, Brenner proposes. When a cancer cell senses stress, it seeks relief by embarking on a trial-and-error process within the gene regulatory network, changing the way existing genes are expressed. An interaction that reduces the stress gets strengthened. Although it seems unlikely that such a process would work, computer simulations based on learning theory showed that cells could, in fact, learn and adapt in this fashion. Previous studies by Brenner, Prof. Erez Braun and others from the Technion’s Network Biology Research Lab have shown that yeast cells also adapt to new environments and develop new abilities. The three researchers say that this new understanding of cancer cells is a crucial step toward developing more effective treatments. “There is an interaction between the individual cell and the tissue,” Brenner said. “The cell has the capacity to explore, but the tissue imposes order and stability. We propose that using the approach and methods of learning theory will help investigate this interaction in greater depth. Cancer could perhaps be treated through strengthening the tissue’s ability to calm and control the pre-cancerous cell.” To read the original article click here.

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Researchers Find Natural Mechanism to Sensitize Cancer to Immunotherapy

AHA Publisher — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 08:00:02 +0000

Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan via Newswise – Researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center found that a cytokine, a category of protein that acts as messengers in the body, and a fatty acid can work together to trigger a type of cell death previously defined by studies with synthetic molecules. The study, published in Cancer Cell, looked at cell cultures and in vivo mouse experiments to see how the release of a T-cell cytokine called interferon gamma combined with arachidonic acid, a fatty acid, leads to a type of cell death called ferroptosis via targeting the enzyme ACSL4. Ferroptosis has been found to occur in tumor cells and play a role in cancer immunity. Understanding how ferroptosis occurs could open pathways to make immunotherapy treatments more effective. “Targeting ACSL4 may help in understanding and expanding possible immunotherapy options,” said Weiping Zou, M.D., Ph.D., director the Center of Excellence for Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy and lead researcher on this study. Zou explains that this natural mechanism begins when activated T-cells release interferon gamma, a signaling protein. “It’s well known that interferon gamma is involved in anti-tumor responses,” said Zou. “But in this study, we defined a new way that it works.” This study shows that combining interferon gamma with arachidonic acid, a fatty acid found in the tumor microenvironment, activates ACSL4, alters tumor cell lipid pattern, and naturally induces tumor cell ferroptosis. “ACSL4-dependent tumor ferroptosis is a mode of action of killer T cells,” said Zou. “Targeting ACSL4 sensitizes cancer to immunotherapy.” Zou’s lab was the first to identify a role for ferroptosis in cancer immunity and therapy, highlighting the possibility of targeting this pathway to improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy in people with cancer. While immunotherapy has dramatically changed outcomes in melanoma, lung cancer and other cancer types, the treatments work for only about 30% of people with cancer. These new findings add more knowledge to how ferroptosis works in patients with cancer, which Zou hopes will prompt further investigation. “This study raises a lot of questions for us to keep exploring, particularly around the basic biology of cell ferroptosis, including the involvement of different fatty acids and dietary lipids, the different roles immune cells play in ferroptosis, and how to target ACSL4 and ferroptosis pathways,” Zou said. “For now, there are many unknowns, but we’ll continue to work in this space.” To read the original article click here.

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Amazing! New Research Links Chili Peppers to a LOWER Risk of Disease

AHA Publisher — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 08:00:15 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – [A] report from the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics contained exciting findings about the ability of capsaicin in chili peppers to fight deadly diseases and reduce the odds of premature death. One would think that the reveal of a potentially lifesaving dietary intervention would have made more of a “splash” in the mainstream scientific community … According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cancer – second only to heart disease as a cause of death – claimed close to 600,000 lives in 2019 alone, leading researchers to search for new and effective treatments. Recent studies have raised hopes that capsaicin could be among them. Let’s see what the research reveals. Capsaicin in Chili Peppers Linked to Lower Risk of Heart Disease, Cancer, and Death From All Causes The scientific review, which involved 570,000 people in four different countries and three different continents, was conducted by researchers at the renowned Cleveland Clinic. The team found that people who regularly ate capsaicin-rich chili peppers enjoyed a significant 23 percent lower risk of dying from cancer. Dietary intake of chili peppers also lowered the risk of heart disease by an eye-opening 26 percent – and was associated with a 25 percent reduction in risk of dying from any cause. The findings appeared to startle the scientists. “We were surprised to find that … regular consumption of chili pepper was associated with an overall risk reduction of all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality,” reported lead author Bo Xu, M.D., a cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute. Dr. Xu called for further research to confirm these promising preliminary findings. Researchers already credit chili peppers with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antiobesity, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic effects. Natural healers have long endorsed these spicy delicacies for their impressive list of benefits, which may include easing migraines, inhibiting fungal infections, fighting viruses, improving cognitive function, reducingjoint pain, improving vision, and alleviating ulcers. While other valuable micronutrients and antioxidants in spicy chili peppers may contribute to their therapeutic benefits, most scientists believe that capsaicin holds the key. Cause for Hope: Capsaicin in Chili Peppers Suppresses the Spread and Survival of Cancer Cells and Tumors In a 2019 review, “Application of capsaicin as a potential new therapeutic drug in human cancers,” published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, researchers examined the anticancer effects of capsaicin. They reported that it acts against the proliferation of cancer cells, while also limiting angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels to nourish tumors. In addition, capsaicin fights chronic inflammation, which has been closely linked to the development of cancer. Studies have also supported capsaicin’s ability to promote the effects of chemotherapy drugs, reduce chemotherapy side effects and enhance the tolerance of patients to cancer treatment – spurring hopes that it could be developed into a new auxiliary treatment for cancer. Because capsaicin has a short half-life in the body, scientists are currently working with capsaicin-laden nanoparticles to deliver the compound to cells more safely and effectively. Lung Cancer Cell Study: Capsaicin Stopped Cancer Cells in Their Tracks Other preliminary research has been encouraging as well. A new test-tube study shows that capsaicin interferes with lung cancer metastasis (the ability of cancer to spread). This is welcome news to oncological researchers – as one of the reasons lung cancer is so difficult to treat is that it moves to secondary locations such as the brain, liver, and bones. When scientists tested capsaicin in human non-small cell lung cancer cells, they discovered that the compound stopped cancer cell invasion, the first stage of metastasis. The team reported that capsaicin blocks a specific protein needed to regulate the proliferation survival and mobility of cancer cells. In addition, the scientists found that mice fed a capsaicin-enriched diet displayed far lower amounts of metastatic cancer cells in their lungs (after being fed a cancer-promoting diet) than mice that had not received capsaicin. From “Nippy” to “Nuclear” – Spicy Capsaicin in Chili Peppers Varies Wildly With Type Of course, capsaicin content – and the associated “heat”- varies from pepper to pepper. In fact, the spiciness of peppers is measured on the Scoville scale, with sweet red peppers scoring 0 units, pepperoncini clocking in at a modest 100 units, and poblano peppers at 1,000 units. Compare that to serrano peppers – at a zippy 10,000 units – or habaneros, which ring in at a scorching 100,000! Meanwhile, the notorious “ghost peppers” contain a blistering one million Scoville units. The hazards of excessive red chili pepper consumption can include painful irritation of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines – along with vomiting and diarrhea. If you want to partake of hot chili peppers, natural health experts advise proceeding cautiously and incorporating them slowly into the diet. In addition to capsaicin, spicy chili peppers contain high levels of antioxidant vitamin C – along with B complex vitamins, vitamin K, and vitamin A. So – if you are not sensitive to chili peppers – go ahead and make them a part of your healthy diet. That “heat” you feel when eating chili peppers just might be the “glow” of improved heart health, less cancer risk, and longer life Sources for this article include: MedicalNewsToday.com AmericanHeartAssociation.org Healthline.com ConserveEnergyFuture.com CDC.gov To read the original article click here.

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White Blood Cells May Be Harnessed to Boost Cancer Immunotherapy

AHA Publisher — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Jon Schiller via Israel21c – White blood cells called Eosinophils can be “summoned” in order to fight cancer by both destroying the cancer cells directly as well as recruiting the immune system’s cancer-fighting T-cells, according to a new study published in the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Eosinophils produce powerful destructive proteins intended for fighting parasites. However, in the modern Western world, where high levels of hygiene have significantly reduced the risk of many parasites, eosinophils can be harmful, inducing allergies and asthma. Considering the destructive power of eosinophils, the researchers decided to test the potential benefits of these white blood cells if turned against cancer cells. Examining tissue samples of lung metastases taken from breast cancer patients, the researchers found that eosinophils reach the lungs and penetrate cancerous tissues, where they often release their destructive proteins and summon T-cells for reinforcement. Ultimately, T-cells gather in the affected lungs, slowing the growth of tumors. In the absence of eosinophils, lung metastases were much larger than those exposed to the white blood cells. These findings led to the conclusion that eosinophils could serve as a basis for improved immunotherapeutic medications to fight cancer effectively. “We chose to focus on lung metastases for two main reasons. First, metastases, and not the primary tumors, are often the main problem in treating cancer, and the lungs are a major target for the metastasis of many types of cancer,” said lead researcher Prof. Ariel Munitz of Tel Aviv University’s department of microbiology and clinical immunology. “Second, in a preliminary study we demonstrated that eosinophils gather in tumors developing in mucous tissues like the lungs, and therefore assumed that they would be found in lung metastases as well,” he added. Compared to traditional techniques like chemotherapy, immunotherapy generally leads to longer protection from cancer and fewer side effects. This new discovery may contribute to the development of new methods of immunotherapy. “Enhancing the number and power of T-cells is one of the main targets of immunotherapy treatments administered to cancer patients today,” said Munitz. To read the original article click here.

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New Drug Candidate Could Boost Potential of Immunotherapy

AHA Publisher — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 07:00:24 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – One of the biggest breakthroughs in cancer treatment today is immunotherapy. Rather than flooding the body with toxic chemicals and radiation, this method recruits the patient’s own system to fight the cancer. While the immune system’s job is to detect and destroy intruders, cancer cells have various ways to disable it. Immunotherapy, therefore, aims to help immune cells recover their natural function. Although a powerful class of immunotherapy drugs, PD-1 inhibitors, was approved by the FDA in 2014, only 20-30 percent of cancer patients respond well to them. Even among those who initially respond, often the therapy stops working once cancer cells learn how to evade PD-1 inhibitors. “The reason seems to be that like cars in a traffic jam, the cancer cells find an alternative route to bypass the treatment, engage the immune cell [and shut it down],” explains Dr. Gavin Samuels, executive director of Jerusalem-based Nectin Therapeutics. The company is named after the nectin family of proteins, whose pathways are a common alternate route for cancer cells to evade immunotherapy. Established in 2017 based on a collaboration between scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Rijeka, Croatia, Nectin Therapeutics’ drugs set up a roadblock in the nectin pathways. Used alone or in conjunction with PD-1 inhibitors, this treatment could be a strong contender in the quest to boost the success of immunotherapy for cancer patients. Like a Key in a Lock “There are probably many cells in our bodies that are constantly moving on a spectrum from normal cells to cancer cells, and an active immune system constantly surveys the situation,” explains Samuels, a physician. “As soon as the immune system detects these abnormal cells, it attacks them.” To protect themselves and take root as tumors, cancer cells develop anchors to reach specific receptors on the immune cell, fit into it like a key in a lock, switch it off and inactivate it. By breaking that locking mechanism, immuno-oncology drugs reactivate the immune response and provide a safer treatment with fewer side effects than traditional chemo or radiation therapy. “You have horrific side effects with chemotherapy because it’s essentially a poison that is more toxic to cancer cells — because they are rapidly dividing — than to normal cells,” Samuels explains. “We’ve developed a series of monoclonal antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates – an antibody with a toxin attached, sent directly to the cancer cell.” Nectin Therapeutics’ drugs have been shown in preclinical studies to effectively restore the function of immune cells when used alone, and even more when combined with a PD-1 drug, he says. The company’s lead candidate is expected to go into human clinical trials early next year. Other Nectin Therapeutics drugs could get to clinical trials about a year later, depending on FDA consideration, based on preclinical studies taking place in the US, Israel and Europe. Unique to Nectin Therapeutics Keren Paz, Nectin’s chief development officer, based in New York, explains that many research groups have sought alternative pathways to PD-1. Most have been unsuccessful. “We’re trying to find a common denominator among a lot of patients who did not respond well enough or long enough to that first family of immunotherapy drugs,” she says. “We see tumors that express the nectin proteins from the beginning and others that become dependent on these proteins only when the patient’s immune cells are already exhausted following treatment.” Nectin’s drugs use several different mechanisms of action to help restore the power of the immune system and shrink existing tumors. Immunology researcher Pini Tsukerman, Nectin Therapeutics’ cofounder and chief scientific officer, says the company has gained an in-depth understanding of the evasion mechanisms of cancerous cells from the immune system. “This comprehensive understanding, together with our track record in drug discovery and development, allowed us to select unique molecules as a target for the antibodies we develop,” says Tsukerman. Paz emphasizes that the antibodies demonstrated a favorable safety profile in preclinical studies and are expected to be effective in patients with many different types of cancer and at different stages of the disease. “Even targeted therapy has some side effects, but we’re not expecting any. We’re simply turning on an existing mechanism of the human body that was turned off,” Paz tells ISRAEL21c. Raising Funds Nectin Therapeutics’ investors include Integra Holdings, an investment company focused on life-science innovations emerging from the Hebrew University; aMoon Velocity, the early-stage fund of Israel’s largest health-tech and life-sciences venture fund aMoon; and Peregrine Ventures. The company closed a Series B round that raised about $15 million in May. “We believe that new immune checkpoint inhibitors will significantly enrich the toolbox of immunotherapy treatments and enable a more effective fight against cancer, whether as an independent treatment or in combination with existing approved drugs,” said Yaron Daniely, partner and head of aMoon Alpha. For more information, click here To read the original article click here.

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Are Avocados Associated with Greater Risk or Reduced Risk of Cancer?

AHA Publisher — Tue, 25 May 2021 07:00:58 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Avocado consumption can improve artery function, but what effect might guacamole have on cancer risk? In my last video about avocados, The Effects of Avocados and Red Wine on Meal-Induced Inflammation, I described their anti-inflammatory effects and cholesterol- and triglyceride-lowering effects, but what about the Are Avocados Good for You? video I did years ago about the chromosome-damaging effects in a petri dish? That goes back to 1975, when a pesticide naturally produced by the avocado tree was discovered, thought to explain why lactating livestock suffer mammary gland damage after nibbling on the leaves. The toxin, named persin, was also found to be damaging to the heart, which is why you should never feed avocado to your pet birds. But, if persin attacks mammary cells in animals, might it attack breast cancer cells in humans? As you can see at 0:52 in my video Are Avocados Healthy?, it did seem to have the same kind of cellular cytoskeleton-clumping effect in vitro that chemotherapy can have, demonstrating potent cell growth stopping and killing effects of the novel plant toxin among various lines of human breast cancer cells. So, researchers are thinking about how it might one day be used as chemo itself, but I’m thinking, Holy guacamole, Batman! Please tell me it doesn’t have toxic effects on normal cells, too. We got an answer in 2010 with an evaluation of the genotoxicity—the toxicity to our chromosomes—of avocado extracts on human white blood cells in a petri dish. As you can see at 1:35 in my video, normally, less than 10 percent of our dividing cells have any chromosome abnormalities, but if you drip some avocado fruit extracts on them, up to half come out defective in some way. The researchers concluded that there’s something in avocado fruit that “can potentially induce significant genomic instability and some genetic damage in human lymphocytes in vitro,” that is, in white blood cells in a petri dish. If the same effect occurs in actual people, it could, for example, result in transforming cells into cancer. That is a big if, though. These were blood cells. You don’t inject guacamole into the vein. For something to get into our bloodstream, it first has to survive our stomach acid, get absorbed through our intestines, and then sneak past our liver’s detoxification enzymes. And indeed, persin may be affected, changed by acidic conditions. So, given all the differences between what happens in a petri dish and inside a person, it’s essential to carry out further studies “before making a final remark on the genotoxicity.” Sounds reasonable, but what do you do before these studies come out? I was concerned enough that I provisionally moved avocados from being a don’t-hold-back green-light food to a moderate-your-intake yellow-light food to err on the side of caution until we knew more. Even if persin were utterly destroyed by stomach acid, what about oral cancer? As you can see at 3:01 in my video, avocado extracts at high enough concentrations can harm the growth of the kinds of cells that line our mouths. This was in a petri dish, though, where the avocado is coming in direct contact with the cells—but that’s also kind of what happens in your mouth when you eat it. However, it harms oral cancer cells even more. At 3:32 in my video, you can see a bunch of oral cancer cells. In the first image, the mitochondria, the power plants of the cells fueling cancer growth, are seen in red. In the second image, you can see they’ve been extinguished by the avocado extract—no more red-colored mitochondria. Since it does this more to cancerous cells than normal cells, the researchers conclude that avocados may end up preventing cancer. What about the esophagus, which lies between the mouth and the stomach? Researchers similarly found that an avocado fruit extract appeared to inhibit cancer cell growth more than normal cell growth when it came to both colon cancer cells and esophageal cancer cells, as you can see at 3:53 in my video. But, rather than comparing the effects to normal colon and esophagus cells, they compared them to a type of blood cell, which, again, is of limited relevance in a petri dish study of something you eat. A study I found to be pretty exciting looked at p-cresol, which is a “uremic toxin” and may also be toxic to the liver. “Found to be associated with autism,” it comes from eating high-protein diets, whereas if you eat a more plant-based diet, which is the only source of prebiotics like fiber and resistant starch, your levels go down. See, fermentation of carbohydrates in the colon, like fiber, is considered beneficial, whereas fermentation of protein, which is called putrefaction, is considered detrimental. So, if you switch people to a high-protein diet, within days, the excess protein putrefying in their gut leads to an increase in ammonia as well as p-cresol—in fact, a doubling of levels within a week. But, might phytonutrient-rich plant foods, like apples, cranberries, grapes, or avocados, protect the cells lining our colon “from the deleterious effects of p-cresol…in terms of cell viability, mitochondrial function, and epithelial integrity,” meaning protection against gut leakiness? At 5:12 in my video, I show the data on barrier function integrity. You can see that it is damaged by p-cresol, but rescued by all the cranberry, avocado, grape, and apple extracts. Mitochondrial function, however, was only improved by the cranberries and avocados, which also were the only ones that appeared to prevent the deleterious effect of p-cresol on colon cell viability. The bottom line, though, is that avocados appear to have beneficial effects on colon lining cells. Okay, but enough of these in vitro studies, already. Yes, an avocado extract can inhibitcancer cell growth in a petri dish, but unless you’re doing some unspeakable things to that avocado—like guacamole with benefits—there’s no way that avocado is going to come in direct contact with your prostate cells. So, what does this study mean? This is why I was so excited to see the first study to actually look for a link between avocado consumption and prostate cancer. Actual human beings eating avocados! So, do avocado eaters have more cancer risk or less cancer risk? Men who ate the most avocado, more than about a third of an avocado a day, had reduced risk of prostate cancer—in fact, less than half the odds. So, with the data on improved artery function, lower cholesterol, and, if anything, an association with decreased cancer risk, I’d suggest moving avocados back up with the other green-light foods. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Greger click here.

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