DNAprint Genomics (DNAG)

[worktoplay]

OT: terry...

I have a bit of experience with Pancreatic Cancer. A couple of years ago, I had the distinct displeasure of spending several hundred hours researching the disease. What you find out in such an endeavor is that efficacy in chemotherapy is a very relative term.

Even in the Aphton trial that you refer to, successful results were described as median survival of 154 days, and a nine month survival rate of 22%.

When my mother was diagnosed, her Oncologist gave her an 8 to 12 month prognosis. My own research into survival rates for Pancreatic Cancer patients with non-resectable Pancreatic Cancer indicated that 3 to 6 months was more likely.

I did find an interesting immune based therapy that seemed to have promise. It involved the administration of low doses of an anti-opiate. The theory was that the immune system is regulated in large part by endorphins (particularly met-5-enkephalin), produced by the body's adrenal glands. Further, that 90% of endorphin production ocurrs at night while we sleep.

Early research was conducted by a Harvard trained physician in New York, who at the time was treating heroin addicts using the standard 50 mg dose of naltrexone. Many of the addicts had contracted AIDS, and what he noted was that as he weaned them from their naltrexone by giving smaller and smaller doses, that at some point their AIDS stabilized.

His findings have been presented at several International AIDS Conferences. In addition, as I searched PubMed I came across study abstracts detailing work done at Penn State University in the mid-80's, that seemed to confirm the immune regulation aspects and in-vitro and in-vivo evidence that low doses of naltrexone had a cancer inhibitory effect.

There's actually quite a bit of work being done as we speak and interestingly enough, the lead investigator at Penn State is also studying Gastrin receptors (The targets of Aphton's drug).

http://www.hmc.psu.edu/depts/cgi-bin/faculty.pl?name=zagon.html&folder=faculty&code=neuroana...

It turns out that the way the drug works is to trick the body. Our cells have opioid receptors, and for some reason cancer cells seem to have more than normal cells. Naltrexone is an opioid receptor blocker, which explains it's use in treatment of addiction.

What the good Doctor in New York determined was that if he gave his patients a small dose (only 4.5 mg) of naltrexone at bedtime, only enough to block the receptors for a few hours, that the body apparently believed that it's output of endorphins was low. In response, the adrenal glands would upregulate endorphin production resulting in metenkephalin levels that were 2.5 to 3 times their normal level. This, in turn, caused a large increase in the production of CD4, CD8, and Natural Killer Cells.

To make a long story short, low dose naltrexone upregulates the immune system and has shown efficacy for a number of autoimmune diseases and cancers. I know it made a big difference for my mother. She was on 5FU for months at a time, yet her immune system remained very strong throughout. I believe it was also a major reason for her avoiding many of the usual side-effects of the chemo.

Later on, we added the GMED Ace Inhibitor program as well and it seemed to make a remarkable improvement. In March 2003, her doctor told her "frankly, six months ago I'd have told you you wouldn't BE here now. I don't know what we're doing, but we're going to keep doing it!"

From her original 8-12 month prognosis, she ultimately survived for 25 months. She passed away earlier this month. And all but the last couple of months, she led an active life.

BTW, if anyone is interested, the website is www.lowdosenaltrexone.org. NCI has collected some of his patient files and is looking into the therapy. Penn State is also doing clinical trials using metenkephalin as a therapeutic modality in the treatment of Pancreatic Cancer.

There are virtually NO side effects at the 4.5 mg dose. In fact, the medication is FDA Approved at a 50 mg dose. Cost for a one month supply runs about $35.00.

Anyone with Crohn's Disease should contact Penn State University about the clinical trial they are organizing. Anyone with MS, or Chronic Fatigue should definitely investigate this therapy as well.

Later,
W2P