fighting cancer Archives - Amazing Health Advances

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.

The post Can Delicious Food Help Fight Cancer? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

New Cancer Treatment Fools the Immune System to Attack

AHA Publisher — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:00:48 +0000

Brian Blum via Israel21c – Immunotherapy holds perhaps the greatest promise for fighting cancer in the 21st century. Rather than bombarding the body with toxic chemicals, as in chemotherapy, immunotherapy utilizes the immune system to neutralize malignant tumors. The only problem: It only works in about 20 percent of patients with solid tumors. The reason is straightforward, but still represents a vexing roadblock for cancer researchers: Tumors are not an infection coming from outside but an internal malfunction of the body’s own cells, which begin to replicate out of control. “Cancer looks like us. It’s hard for the immune system to identify,” explains Dr. Asher Nathan, CEO of NeoTX, a Rehovot-based startup developing a novel way of knocking out tumors – by coating them in bacteria. “Unlike with cancer, our bodies are finely tuned to attack bacteria,” Nathan says. “Bacteria is a billion years old. Our immune systems have had a long time to figure out how to effectively neutralize bacterial infections. That’s why you don’t wake up in the morning with a cold and think, ‘I’m going to die.’” Cancer, of course, is a very different story. Compared with bacteria, “cancerous tumors are like the new kid on the block,” Nathan notes. NeoTX is not Nathan’s first foray into medical technology; after immigrating to Israel 40 years ago from Chicago, he founded IntelliGene and EvoRX, two biotech companies formed around technologies he invented. For NeoTX, Nathan identified and licensed a drug developed by the Swedish company Active Biotech called naptumomab estafenatox (NAP). NAP is composed of two proteins: a genetically modified “superantigen” and an antibody that latches onto a tumor via a molecule called 5T4 found primarily on tumors. A superantigen is a bacterial derivative that elicits a strong antibacterial immune response. NeoTX calls its technology “Tumor-Targeted Superantigen” or TTS. Once NAP’s 5T4 antibody has attached itself to a tumor, the superantigen “reprograms” the immune system to mount an antibacterial response against the bacteria as well as the tumor. “The concept behind this drug is, let’s coat the tumor with a bacterial molecule so that the immune system will go into ‘Defcon 1’ and attack the tumor as if it’s bacteria,” Nathan says. The Secret Weapon Once the immune system knows what to look for, it sends in the body’s secret weapon: killer T-cells. The T-cells identify the bacteria-coated tumors, then start to create an army of cells primed to attack any superantigens they find. Nathan recommends the video below to see how T-cells work; they “grope around like a blind robot” and after hitting a superantigen, punch a hole in the cell … then insert a molecule that causes the cell to explode.” It’s a fine balance. When fighting a bacterial infection, “the body can go crazy,” Nathan notes. “You can get a high fever that exhausts the immune system. That’s how the bacteria continue to fight. We genetically engineered our superantigen to be safer. It doesn’t generate as strong a response, but it still creates a very powerful immune reaction.” Targeting bacteria is smart for another reason: Part of how tumors succeed in evading the body’s defenses is by releasing chemicals that weaken the immune response. “Anything we do nearby the tumor becomes problematic,” Nathan says. But with NAP, “the tumor-killing T-cells are created far from the immune-suppressed tumor site.” Only then do they begin their journey to seek out and destroy the tumors. Moreover, when the immune system encounters a superantigen bound to a tumor, it modifies the suppressive micro-environment around the tumor so that the body’s natural defenses are better able to kill it. “This creates a natural, holistic and profound immune response,” Nathan says. Reboots the Immune System But the best may be yet to come. “When we’ve tested this drug in animals, we find that even when you try to reintroduce cancers into, say, a mouse that’s been cured by the technology, it doesn’t stick,” Nathan says. “None of the mice that were ‘rechallenged’ got cancer again. The drug ‘wakes up’ the immune system – at least in mice – and we don’t need any more drug.” Nathan likens it to the reboot function on a computer. “The drug reboots the immune system so it can do what it natively needs to do – remove the suppressive environment and kill as many tumor cells as possible. Then, the T-cells can go after more targets.” NeoTX’s bacterial coating approach is currently in a Phase I trial in Israel and, based on encouraging results, has begun a Phase 2 trial in the United States with 30 patients. One patient has non-small cell lung cancer that had metastasized to the liver. “That’s a death sentence, usually within four months,” Nathan says. The patient received NeoTX’s drug over a decade ago (prior to it being licensed from Active Biotech). “She lived for 11 years and died of something else, not her cancer.” NAP plays particularly well with checkpoint inhibitors, another type of cancer treatment that aims to tamp down “checkpoints” created by the cancer that essentially trick the T-cells into thinking the tumor is a friend. “It’s like a secret handshake in a college fraternity,” Nathan quips. If the handshake were inhibited, so to speak, the T-cells would see the tumor for what it is – very much not a friend – and could attack. Combining NAP with a checkpoint inhibitor “allows our drug to kill more tumor cells,” Nathan says. AstraZeneca Collaboration Pharma giant AstraZeneca is collaborating with NeoTX on the former’s own checkpoint inhibitor technology. The hope is that patients who don’t normally respond will have greater success in beating back their cancers. Developing and commercializing any new drug can take up to 15 years and many millions of dollars. NeoTX has raised around $80 million so far. Nathan is optimistic that if NAP passes Phase 2 and 3 trials, it could hit the market as early as 2027. While the technology has so far been tested on solid lung, esophageal and urethral cancer tumors, patients with blood cancer such as lymphoma and leukemia could benefit, too – in particular those who are candidates for CAR-T, a promising treatment that involves removing T-cells from a patient, engineering them for maximum killing ability in a lab, then reinjecting them. CAR-T, a form of immunotherapy, tends to work well for blood cancers but poorly for solid tumors. That’s another aim for NeoTX – to provide a pharmaceutical complement that will allow CAR-T to be effective outside the blood cancer domain. Immunotherapy has become a crowded field. “If you look at all the companies that are trying to elicit an immune system response, there are probably 1,000 out there. But for the specific mechanism we’re trying, it’s zero,” Nathan notes. “One of our investors said to us, ‘You’re either geniuses or you’re crazy.’ I replied, ‘What makes you think it’s one or the other?’” NeoTX has no shortage of geniuses. Roger Kornberg, the 2006 winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry, is the company’s chief scientist (as well as a long-time collaborator with Nathan in his previous endeavors). Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel, who shared a Nobel in chemistry in 2013, are advisers. Dr. Marcel Rozencweig, a medical oncologist and 18-year veteran of pharma company Bristol Myers Squibb, where he was head of global oncology, is NeoTX’s president. Recently, the head of global clinical oncology at Bayer pharmaceuticals, Dr. Scott Fields, joined NeoTX as chief medical officer. “It is extremely rare that someone as high up as Scott Fields would leave pharma to work in such a small company,” Nathan tells ISRAEL21c. “It is even more rare that he would come to a company based in Israel.” Cancer, sadly, isn’t going away anytime soon. “The average person develops around five cancerous or pre-cancerous cells a day,” Nathan notes. “Our bodies are very efficient at killing, such that most people don’t get a new cancer every day. Our drug could level the playing field so the body can do what it’s meant to.” For more information, click here To read the original article click here.

The post New Cancer Treatment Fools the Immune System to Attack appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Turmeric with Black Pepper: What It’s Good for and How to Take It

AHA Publisher — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 07:00:48 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Historians have gathered evidence showing that people—from long ago and from around the world—have used herbs, often in a sophisticated way. Quinine from Cinchona bark, for instance, was used to treat the symptoms of malaria long before the disease had even been identified, and the raw ingredients of a common aspirin tablet have been a popular painkiller for far longer than we have had access to tablet-making machinery. In fact, many pharmacological classes of drugs today include a natural product prototype that we had originally discovered through the study of traditional cures and folk knowledge of indigenous peoples. A plant in South Asia called adhatoda—from adu meaning “goat” and thoda meaning “not touch” because it’s so bitter even goats won’t eat it—has compounds that help open our airways. Adhatoda tea, with its leaves steeped with black peppercorns, has been used traditionally to treat asthma. I can see why tea would be made from that plant, but why incorporate black peppercorns? In 1928, scientists discovered what the South Asians evidently had already known: Adding pepper increases the anti-asthmatic properties of the adhatoda plant’s leaves. Why Black Pepper with Turmeric? The Indian spice turmeric, which gives curry powder its characteristic golden color, is so beneficial that my Daily Dozen recommends we get at least a quarter teaspoon every day. Why should we pair it with black pepper? Key Active Ingredients Curcumin in Turmeric Approximately 5 percent of the spice turmeric is composed of an active compound called curcumin, which is responsible for turmeric’s bright yellow color. Piperine in Black Pepper About 5 percent of black pepper by weight is comprised of piperine, a compound that gives the spice its pungent flavor. Piperine is a potent inhibitor of drug metabolism. One of the ways our liver gets rid of foreign substances is by making them water soluble so they can be more easily excreted. But, this black pepper molecule inhibits that process. How Do Turmeric and Black Pepper Work Together? Within an hour of consuming turmeric, we get a little bump in the level of curcumin in our bloodstream. We don’t see a large increase because our liver is actively trying to get rid of it. Would taking just a quarter teaspoon’s worth of black pepper suppress that process? Indeed. By adding just a little black pepper, the bioavailability of curcumin shoots up by 2,000 percent, as I discuss in more detail in my video Boosting the Bioavailability of Curcumin. Even just a little pinch of pepper—1/20th of a teaspoon—can significantly boost curcumin levels. And guess what a common ingredient in curry powder is besides turmeric? Black pepper. Other Ways to Boost Turmeric’s Benefits When we consume curcumin in its whole food form of turmeric root, whether fresh or dried as a powder, absorption of the pigment is also boosted. Natural oils found in turmeric root and turmeric powder can enhance the bioavailability of curcumin seven- to eight-fold. What’s more, when eaten with fat, curcumin can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the lymphatic system, thereby in part bypassing the liver. In India, this is exactly how turmeric is commonly used culinarily—with fat and black pepper. Amazing! Unfortunately, their traditional knowledge certainly failed them with ghee, which is practically pure butter fat. That may explain India’s relatively high rates of heart disease despite all the turmeric in their diet. What Is Turmeric Good For? What makes turmeric so healthful that it has a spot on my Daily Dozen? Treating Ulcerative Colitis: Curcumin seems to be a promising and safe medication—no side effects at all reported—for maintaining remission in patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis. Treating Lupus: A quarter teaspoon of turmeric has shown to be effective for the treatment of uncontrollable lupus (SLE) nephritis. Treating Osteoarthritis: Turmeric may work as well as, or better than, anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Speeding Recovery from Surgery: In the weeks following surgery, curucmin has been demonstated to lead to a dramatic drop in pain and fatigue. Treating Alzheimer’s: A teaspoon per day of turmeric may be effective and safe for the treatment of the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in Alzheimer’s disease patients. Fighting Cancer: Curcumin has the ability to kill tumor cells and not normal cells. Furthermore, because it can affect numerous mechanisms of cell death at the same time, it’s possible that cancer cells may not easily develop resistance to curcumin-induced cell death like they do to most chemotherapy. Improving Endothelial Function: The efficacy of curcumin for boosting endothelial functionis comparable to that obtained with exercise. Therefore, regular ingestion of curcumin could be a preventive measure against cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. Preventing Diabetes in Prediabetics: In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of folks diagnosed with prediabetes, in the group that were given curcumin supplements, none went on to get full-blown diabetes after nine months. They group saw a significant improvement in fasting blood sugars, glucose tolerance, hemoglobin A1C, insulin sensitivity, pancreatic insulin-producing beta cell function (measured two different ways), and insulin sensitivity. What if you already have diabetes? Same beneficial effects, and at a fraction of the dose. Treating Inflammation Eye Conditions: From conjunctivitis (pink eye) to uveitis, to a low-grade form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, turmeric displays dramatic anti-inflammatory effects. What Are the Side Effects of Turmeric? I love cooking with turmeric and recommend including it into our daily routine that way rather than taking curcumin supplements, especially during pregnancy. Gallstones It takes about 40 milligrams to get a 50 percent gallbladder contraction, which keeps bile from stagnating. If you have a stone blocking your bile duct and eat something that causes your gallbladder to squeeze down hard, you may be seeing stars from the pain! Patients with biliary tract obstruction should be careful about consuming curcumin, but, for everyone else, these results suggest that curcumin can effectively induce the gallbladder to empty and thereby reduce the risk of gallstone formation in the first place and, ultimately, perhaps even gallbladder cancer. Kidney Stones Too much turmeric may increase the risk of kidney stones. The spice is high in soluble oxalates, which can bind to calcium and form insoluble calcium oxalate, which is responsible for approximately three-quarters of all kidney stones. Those with a tendency to form kidney stones should restrict turmeric intake to one teaspoon per day. How Much Turmeric and Black Pepper Should You Take Daily? With few downsides at culinary doses and myriad potential health benefits, I’d suggest trying to find ways to incorporate turmeric into your daily diet. I recommend consuming at least a quarter teaspoon of turmeric every day as part of my Daily Dozen checklist, and flavor your dishes with black pepper for added kick and added healthful benefits. How to Take Turmeric with Black Pepper Simply add these spices to your favorite soups and stews. They can also be blended with bananas and cashews to make a golden turmeric smoothie. Here are two of my favorite recipes that feature both turmeric and black pepper: Garden Veggie Tempeh Veggie Mac & Cheese Conclusion I’ve previously covered the topic of food synergy in videos such as Apples and Oranges: Dietary Diversity and Garden Variety Anti-Inflammation, emphasizing the importance of eating different plant foods to take advantage of some of these interactions. The black pepper mechanism reminds me of stories about grapefruit (Tell Your Doctor If You Eat Grapefruit) and broccoli (The Best Detox). A testament to the power of plants! I briefly mentioned the painkilling properties of aspirin. Did you know they’re found naturally throughout the plant kingdom? See Aspirin Levels in Plant Foods. In some circumstances, the wisdom of traditional medicine seems incredible, as I discuss in Tomato Effect. It can also be dangerous, as you can see in Get the Lead Out. Thank goodness for science! For all of our videos on the latest research on turmeric, visit our Turmeric topic page. In health, Michael Greger, M.D To read the original article click here.

The post Turmeric with Black Pepper: What It’s Good for and How to Take It appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Artemisinin for Malaria, Viral Infections and Cancer Prevention

AHA Publisher — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 07:00:10 +0000

Christine Ruggeri, CHHC via Dr. Axe – Artemisinin, a major active command in the Artemisia annua plant species, is one of the most commonly prescribed therapy in traditional Chinese medicine. It was first developed as a drug to treat malaria and has since become the standard treatment for the disease worldwide. Today, researchers are exploring its use as an alternative therapy for cancer treatments. Because it reacts with iron-rich cancer cells to produce free radicals, artemisinin works to attack specific cancer cells, while leaving normal cells unharmed. Although more research on the therapeutic is needed, the reports to date are promising. What Is Artemisinin? Artemisinin is a drug derived from Artemisia annua, an Asian plant also known as: sweet wormwood sweet Annie annual mugwort annual absinthe qing hao qinghaosu The plant has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for 2,000 years to threat fevers, headaches, bleeding and malaria. Today, it’s used to make therapeutic capsules, teas, pressed juice, extracts and powders. A. annua is grown in Asia, India, Central and Eastern Europe, as well as in temperate regions of America, Australia, Africa and tropical regions. Artemisinin is the active constituent of A. annua, and it’s used as a drug to treat malaria and has been researched for its efficacy against other conditions, including osteoarthritis, Chagas disease and cancer. Cancer Research Research on artemisinin for cancer suggests that the constituent may work as an alternative therapy, but more clinical studies are still needed. What’s known so far is that artemisinin may help create cancer-killing free radicals in the body. It works similarly to fight cancer to how it fights malaria, by reacting with iron-rich cancer cells to produce free radicals that go on the attack. Some research even indicates that artemisinin is much more specific in targeting and killing certain cancer cells than other cancer treatments, which means that normal cells can survive with this method. Artemisinin derivatives, such as dimers, trimers and hybrids, are currently being researched and used as a potential therapeutic alternative to current chemotherapies to combat cancers such as leukemia. Recent studies show that its derivatives possess both in-vitro and in-vivo activities against various types of cancer. Its anti-cancer effects come from its ability to initiate apoptotic cell death, inhibit cancer proliferation, reduce metastatic growth and promote the formulation of new blood vessels. Research published in 2021 notes that artemisinin has shown therapeutic activity against leukemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma cells. Artemisinin drugs have also exhibited good tolerance and few side effects when used in combination with standard chemotherapies. The “synergism” of flavonoids and artemisinin in cancer treatment has also been reported. Flavonoids have been shown to enhance the anti-cancer effects of artemisinins by increasing their bioavailability and half life values. These benefits have been reported in several cancer cell models, including on pancreatic, breast, colon and prostate cancers. Other Benefits In addition to the plant extract’s potential benefits for cancer treatment, it’s been used for thousands of years for other health conditions, including the following: 1. Used to Treat Malaria Artemisinin has proven to exert antimalarial effects, which are due to its free radical scavenging properties. The herbal drug reacts with the high levels of iron in the parasite and produces free radicals, which destroys the cell walls of the malaria. It has even proven to be effective against highly drug-resistant strains of the disease. 2. Reduces Inflammation The use of artemisinin against inflammatory-driver respiratory disorders has been investigated, and reports show that they attenuate inflammation by regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines. There’s evidence highlighting artemisinin’s effects against inflammatory conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and osteoarthritis. 3. Has Antimicrobial and Antiviral Effects The secondary metabolites in Artemisia annua, including monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and phenolic compounds, exhibit antimicrobial effects. There’s also recent research suggesting that A. annua extracts inhibit viral infections and can serve as a cost-effective therapeutic for fighting viruses. Although more research is needed, there are reports indicating that artemisinin may have the following benefits as well: Reduces cholesterol Controls seizures Fights obesity Fights diabetes Risks and Side Effects Research suggests that artemisinin is generally well-tolerated, but some people may experience side effects, including: nausea vomiting skin rash vertigo ringing in the ears digestive complaints tremors liver damage It should not be combined with certain medications. People with gastrointestinal disorders or ulcers should not take artemisinin or use products derived from A. annua. It should not be taken with anti-seizure medications, either. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use sweet wormwood unless doing so under the care of a health care provider. Supplements and Dosage Artemisinin supplements are available in many forms and can be used orally, intravenously or rectally. The sweet wormwood plant is also used to make teas, juices and extracts, which is used traditionally to treat malaria and reduce inflammation. The People’s Republic of China lists the daily dose of Artemisia annua for fever and malaria as 4.5 to nine grams of dried herb prepared as an infusion. This is the preparation that’s been used for clinical trials. For readymade supplements, doses vary depending on what it’s being used for. A specific dosage for optimal efficacy has not yet been established, but taking 400–800 milligrams daily is often recommended for reducing inflammation, fighting fever and malaria, and combating infections. This dose range has shown to be safe for six to 12 months, with no apparent artemisinin side effects. Conclusion Artemisia annua is a plant that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years for the treatment of fever, inflammation and infections. Artemisinin, one of the main constituents in the plant, is used in combination therapies for the treatment of malaria, and recent research indicates that it’s a useful tool for cancer treatment as well. Artemisinin supplements can be taken orally, intravenously and rectally in a clinical setting, under the care of a doctor. It’s known to be well-tolerated, but artemisinin side effects are possible and can include nausea, dizziness, skin rash, digestive issues and tremors. To read the original article click here.

The post Artemisinin for Malaria, Viral Infections and Cancer Prevention appeared first on 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.

The post Vitamin E Can Boost Immunotherapy Responses by Reinvigorating Dendritic Cells appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Targeted Drug Combination Shows Unprecedented Activity in Some Highly Aggressive Brain Tumors

AHA Publisher — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 08:00:09 +0000

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute via Newswise – A combination of two targeted cancer drugs showed unprecedented, “clinically meaningful” activity in patients with highly malignant brain tumors that carried a rare genetic mutation, according to a clinical trial report by investigators from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The drug combination, which blocked an overactive cell-growth signaling pathway, shrank tumors by 50% or more in one-third of 45 patients with hard-to-treat high-grade gliomas, including glioblastomas, the most aggressive brain tumor. The patients were selected for the trial because their tumors carried a genetic mutation known as v600E in the BRAF gene. This mutation is found in only two to three percent of patients with high-grade gliomas but is found in up to 60% of certain types of low-grade gliomas. The study included 13 patients with low-grade gliomas. Of those patients, nine had an objective response to treatment with the drug combination, for a response rate of 69%. “This is the first time that any targeted drug has been shown to work in glioblastoma in a clinical trial,” said Patrick Wen, MD, first author of the report in The Lancet Oncology and director of the Center for Neuro-Oncology at Dana-Farber. With all current chemotherapy treatments for glioblastomas, the response rate is no better than five per cent, he said, which contrasts with the 33 percent response rate achieved by the combination. The response rate was even higher – about 40 % – in patients younger than 40 years of age, according to Wen. The two drugs paired in the study were dabrafenib and trametinib. Both drugs target proteins in the MAPK pathway, a signaling chain of proteins that acts as a switch for cell growth and can become stuck in the “on” position, causing uncontrolled growth leading to tumors. Three patients had complete responses – their tumors no longer could be seen on imaging scan – and 12 had partial shrinkage of their tumors. The patients were not cured, but those who responded to the drugs experienced remarkably durable benefits – by one assessment, the median duration of response was 13.6 months, and by another assessment, it was 36.9 months. The findings are from an ongoing phase 2 study called ROAR (Rare Oncology Agnostic Research) that has been enrolling patients since 2014 in 27 community and academic cancer centers in 13 countries. The study is a so-called “basket” trial, which seeks to enroll patients who share a common tumor characteristic – in this case the BRAF v600E mutation – although they may have an array of different cancers. The ROAR study includes patients with thyroid and biliary tract cancers, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, hairy cell leukemia, multiple myeloma, low- and high-grade glioma brain tumors, and others. The study is designed to determine the overall response rate of dabrafenib combined with trametinib in patients with BRAF V600E-mutated cancers. The BRAF protein is a growth signaling protein kinase that plays a role in regulating the MAPK signaling pathway. BRAF V600E mutations drive cancer by activating the MAPK pathway, which is made up of many proteins, resulting in uncontrolled cell growth and the development of a tumor. The drugs used in this study, dabrafenib and trametinib, are oral drugs that block parts of the overactive MAPK signaling pathway. Dabrafenib inhibits an enzyme, B-Raf, and trametinib inhibits molecules called MEK1 and MEK2, which are part of the MAPK pathway. They have been used in combination to treat melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and thyroid cancer. Gliomas are cancer that originate in the glia – the supporting cells of the brain – not the brain neurons themselves. Gliomas comprise about 80 percent of all malignant brain tumors. Some are slow-growing low-grade gliomas, while others are aggressive high-grade gliomas including glioblastomas that are difficult to remove and almost always recur. No important advances in treating gliomas in recent years, the authors of the report said, but there have been isolated reports of the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib showing activity in gliomas. Their report from the ROAR study “is the first time that a combination of BRAF inhibitor (dabrafenib) and a MEK inhibitor (trametinib) have shown notable activity in these difficult-to-treat gliomas, including glioblastomas which have historically shown resistance to therapies.” Although the drugs only helped patients whose tumors carried the rare V600E mutation, Wen said the results were encouraging “because people were starting to think you will never have any targeted therapies for glioblastoma.” He added that there is emerging evidence that there may be other targets in gliomas that could be blocked by designer drugs. To read the original article click here.

The post Targeted Drug Combination Shows Unprecedented Activity in Some Highly Aggressive Brain Tumors appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Groundbreaking Study Optimizes Patient’s Own Immune System to Fight Tumors

AHA Publisher — Mon, 17 May 2021 07:26:30 +0000

University of Minnesota via News-Medical – A groundbreaking study led by engineering and medical researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities shows how engineered immune cells used in new cancer therapies can overcome physical barriers to allow a patient’s own immune system to fight tumors. The research could improve cancer therapies in the future for millions of people worldwide. The research is published in Nature Communications, a peer-reviewed, open access, scientific journal published by Nature Research. Instead of using chemicals or radiation, immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps the patient’s immune system fight cancer. T cells are a type of white blood cell that are of key importance to the immune system. Cytotoxic T cells are like soldiers who search out and destroy the targeted invader cells. While there has been success in using immunotherapy for some types of cancer in the blood or blood-producing organs, a T cell’s job is much more difficult in solid tumors. “The tumor is sort of like an obstacle course, and the T cell has to run the gauntlet to reach the cancer cells. These T cells get into tumors, but they just can’t move around well, and they can’t go where they need to go before they run out of gas and are exhausted.” Paolo Provenzano, senior author of the study and biomedical engineering associate professor in the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering In this first-of-its-kind study, the researchers are working to engineer the T cells and develop engineering design criteria to mechanically optimize the cells or make them more “fit” to overcome the barriers. If these immune cells can recognize and get to the cancer cells, then they can destroy the tumor. In a fibrous mass of a tumor, the stiffness of the tumor causes immune cells to slow down about two-fold–almost like they are running in quicksand. “This study is our first publication where we have identified some structural and signaling elements where we can tune these T cells to make them more effective cancer fighters,” said Provenzano, a researcher in the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center. “Every ‘obstacle course’ within a tumor is slightly different, but there are some similarities. After engineering these immune cells, we found that they moved through the tumor almost twice as fast no matter what obstacles were in their way.” To engineer cytotoxic T cells, the authors used advanced gene editing technologies (also called genome editing) to change the DNA of the T cells so they are better able to overcome the tumor’s barriers. The ultimate goal is to slow down the cancer cells and speed up the engineered immune cells. The researchers are working to create cells that are good at overcoming different kinds of barriers. When these cells are mixed together, the goal is for groups of immune cells to overcome all the different types of barriers to reach the cancer cells. Provenzano said the next steps are to continue studying the mechanical properties of the cells to better understand how the immune cells and cancer cells interact. The researchers are currently studying engineered immune cells in rodents and in the future are planning clinical trials in humans. While initial research has been focused on pancreatic cancer, Provenzano said the techniques they are developing could be used on many types of cancers. “Using a cell engineering approach to fight cancer is a relatively new field,” Provenzano said. “It allows for a very personalized approach with applications for a wide array of cancers. We feel we are expanding a new line of research to look at how our own bodies can fight cancer. This could have a big impact in the future.” In addition to Provenzano, the study’s authors included current and former University of Minnesota Department of Biomedical Engineering researchers Erdem D. Tabdanov (co-author), Nelson J. Rodríguez-Merced (co-author), Vikram V. Puram, Mackenzie K. Callaway, and Ethan A. Ensminger; University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center and Medical School Department of Pediatrics researchers Emily J. Pomeroy, Kenta Yamamoto, Walker S. Lahr, Beau R. Webber, Branden S. Moriarity; National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering researcher Alexander X. Cartagena-Rivera; and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute researcher Alexander S. Zhovmer, who is now at the Center for Biologic Evaluation and Research. The research was funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and University of Minnesota Physical Sciences in Oncology Center, which receives funding from NIH’s National Cancer Institute. Additional funding was provided by the American Cancer Society and the Randy Shaver Research and Community Fund. The University of Minnesota Imaging Center provided additional staff expertise. Some of the researchers also are part of the University of Minnesota Center for Genome Engineering and the University’s Institute for Engineering in Medicine. To read the original article click here.

The post Groundbreaking Study Optimizes Patient’s Own Immune System to Fight Tumors appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Sunshine Lowers Cancer Risk?

AHA Publisher — Mon, 17 May 2021 07:00:33 +0000

Al Sears MD – [F]or years I’ve been reminding my patients that getting natural vitamin D from the sun is one of the best all-around cancer-fighters. A new study confirms… Spending Time Outdoors LOWERS Your Risk of Cancer According to this latest study, researchers report that spending 20 years or more working outside in the sun actually REDUCED a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.1 Researchers looked at 38,375 women under the age of 70 who were diagnosed with the disease. Then they compared each patient to five control patients who were all born the same year. Full employment history was reviewed. The researchers were stunned to find that not only was there no association with working outside in the sunlight to overall breast cancer risk… But that long-term occupational exposure was associated with a 17% reduced risk of breast cancer after age 50. These Danish scientists may have been surprised. But I’m not. In fact, studies show that the “sunshine” vitamin can:2,3,4,5,6 Target the genes responsible for cancer-cell proliferation Change cancer cells into normal cells Stop cancer cells from multiplying into tumors Help prevent certain cancers from spreading Regulate your immune response to cancer Prevent up to 17 different types of cancer, including prostate, bladder, uterine, and stomach Vitamin D can even prolong the lives of existing cancer patients. These findings from Denmark were published only a few weeks after another study looked at human migration over the last 500 years. This research, published by Oxford University, found that as people moved from areas of intense sunlight to regions where sunlight was low, the number of people with a vitamin D deficiency surged.7 In America, that number is almost 70%.8 In addition to cancer, a vitamin D deficiency increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, colds and viruses, depression, osteoporosis, and all-cause mortality. To overcome a vitamin D shortfall and improve almost every aspect of health, I advise my patients to get plenty of sunshine. To get the most vitamin D in the least amount of time, I recommend getting outside between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. That’s when the sun is highest and rays are strongest so you can get some good exposure over a short time. As little as 10 minutes in the midday sun can give you 10,000 IU of vitamin D. Boost Your Cancer-Fighting D Levels But sitting in the sun isn’t the only way to boost this vitamin… I also recommend that you: Eat sun-dried mushrooms. Next to sunlight, this is your best source of vitamin D. When shitake mushrooms are placed in the sun for six hours, their vitamin D levels skyrocket – from 110 IU per 100 grams to 46,000! The best source of D after the sun. Next to sunlight, cod liver oil is the best source of vitamin D, providing 1,360 IUs in just a single teaspoon per day. If cod liver oil isn’t your thing, increase the amount of wild-caught fatty fish you eat. Salmon, tuna, herring, and anchovies are good sources. Don’t skip the yolk. But do choose pasture-raised eggs. Compared to conventionally raised chickens, eggs from free range chickens have four times more vitamin D. D3 Power in a Pill. Choose a vitamin D3 supplement called cholecalciferol, which is identical to the vitamin D3 that your body produces. Be sure to avoid the synthetic, less potent and less absorbable vitamin D2 form you find in many multivitamins. Get between 5,000 and 10,000 IUs a day. [i] Pedersen J, et al. “Occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet B radiation and risk of subtypes of breast cancer in Danish women.” Occup Environ Med. 2021 Apr;78(4):286-292. [ii] Johnson CS, et al. “Vitamin D-related therapies in prostate cancer.” Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2002;21(2):147-58. [iii] Maruyama R, et al. “Comparative genome analysis identifies the vitamin D receptor gene as a direct target of p53-mediated transcriptional activation.” Cancer Res. 2006;66(9):4574-4583. [iv] Aranow C. “Vitamin D and the immune system.” J Investig Med. 2011;59(6):881–886. [v] Shokravi MT, et al. “Vitamin D inhibits angiogenesis in transgenic murine retinoblastoma.” Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1995;36(1):83-87. [vi] Lappe JM, et al. “Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85(6):1586-1591 [vii] Andersen T, et al. “Historical migration and contemporary health.” (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model) [viii] Tovey A. “Are we currently amid a vitamin D pandemic?” Vitamin D Council. November 18, 2016. Accessed May 14, 2018. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Al Sears, MD click here.

The post Sunshine Lowers Cancer Risk? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Bacteria in Cancer Cells Can Be Harnessed to Fight Tumors

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

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – The immune system can find bacteria residing within cancer cells and harness them to provoke an immune reaction against the tumor, according to a study published in Nature. An international research team, led by researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, says this discovery may explain why the gut microbiome is known to affect the success of immunotherapy treatments for cancer. Immunotherapy has dramatically improved recovery rates from certain cancers, particularly malignant melanoma, but still work in only about 40 percent of the cases. Molecular cell biologist Ravid Straussman, one of the first to reveal bacteria in cancer cells, devised methods for Prof. Yardena Samuels and her lab to search for signposts to those bacteria. Lead authors Shelly Kalaora and Adi Nagler analyzed tissue samples from 17 metastatic melanoma tumors derived from nine patients. They obtained bacterial genomic profiles of these tumors and then identified nearly 300 tumor peptides that can be recognized by the immune system. Future studies may establish which bacterial peptides enhance the immune response, enabling physicians to predict the success of immunotherapy and to tailor a personalized treatment accordingly. “Many of these peptides were shared by different metastases from the same patient or by tumors from different patients, which suggests that they have a therapeutic potential and a potent ability to produce immune activation,” Nagler said. “Our findings suggest that bacterial peptides presented on tumor cells can serve as potential targets for immunotherapy,” Samuels said. “They may be exploited to help immune T cells recognize the tumor with greater precision, so that these cells can mount a better attack against the cancer. This approach can in the future be used in combination with existing immunotherapy drugs.” The study’s collaborators were from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology; Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center; Tel Aviv University; Open University of Israel; University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Texas A&M University; Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in California; the US National Cancer Institute; Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK; and The Netherlands Cancer Institute. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

The post Bacteria in Cancer Cells Can Be Harnessed to Fight Tumors appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.