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For Immediate Release
December 1, 2009

ScienceDaily (Oct. 30, 2009) — Targeted immunotherapy has been an attractive new therapeutic area for a number of cancers because it has the potential to destroy tumor cells without damaging surrounding normal tissue. New study results demonstrate high success rates using specialized white blood cells to prevent or treat lymphoma associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV-lymphoma) in patients who have received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). This study was recently published online in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.

The researchers hypothesized that aggressive EBV-lymphomas may be responsive to control or eradication with EBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) treatment. (CTLs are highly specialized white blood cells that build the body's defenses against disease.) To test their theory, the team infused EBV-specific CTL lines into two groups of patients: those who were undergoing HSCT and were at high risk of developing EBV-lymphoma, and patients who had already developed lymphoma. The study reported that CTL treatment successfully prevented the development of EBV-lymphoma in all 101 patients in the at-risk group who received the therapy prophylactically and achieved sustained complete remission in 11 of the 13 patients (85 percent) treated therapeutically (those who already had the disease).Lymphoma is a cancer of white blood cells called lymphocytes that are largely responsible for maintaining the body's immunity, and EBV is one of the most common human viruses that can have a long-lasting impact on the body's immune system. Immune-compromised patients who receive HSCT, especially from mismatched donors or matched but unrelated donors, may be at higher risk of developing EBV-lymphoma than other patients. Previous studies have suggested that EBV-lymphoma occurs most often in the first few months post-transplant.

"Therapy with EBV-specific CTLs was effective for these severely immunocompromised patients. The CTLs successfully reached tumors, multiplied, and were able to kill the tumor cells," said lead study author Helen Heslop, MD, of the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine, The Methodist Hospital, and Texas Children's Hospital.

While the successful outcomes result from a number of factors in the study, the researchers attribute some of the success of the trial to the time of treatment. The CTL lines were infused soon after stem cell transplantation, when the existing white blood cell count was still low and was not quickly regenerating, allowing the infused cells to more quickly multiply and mediate anti-viral and anti-tumor effects. In addition, by marking and tracking the CTL genes, the team was able to demonstrate that the cells could survive for up to nine years in the body, conferring long-term protection.

With strong clinical outcomes, the study team is working to determine the most appropriate role and timing for CTL infusions. Some newer therapies (such as monoclonal antibodies) offer prophylactic and therapeutic options but cannot offer long-term protection. Therefore, treatment with CTLs may be reserved for the highest risk patients -- those with a diagnosis of immune deficiency or a history of EBV-lymphoma, or those who develop elevated EBV levels after therapy with monoclonal antibodies.

Importantly, the study found that this type of therapy is not only effective, but economically advantageous. A preliminary analysis showed that a patient-specific CTL line can be manufactured, tested, and infused for approximately $6,000, a cost that compares well with other modalities used in the treatment of EBV-lymphoma. Moreover, the team determined that it is possible to manufacture cells in one location and ship them to another center for infusion, with reproducible and consistent results and clinical outcomes.

"It's important to note that this promising therapy is not only effective, but it is also a cost-effective option for high-risk patients," said Dr. Heslop.

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This article was originally posted at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002506.htm.

Labels: Epstein-Barr, Immunotherapy, Lymphoma

– Oct 27, 2009 – The Directors of Branyon Integrative Medical Group in Scottsdale, AZ, are excited to announce that they have officially secured financing options for patients that want to enroll in the Group’s treatment programs. Mark Branyon, the company’s Business Development Manager, stated earlier today, “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to reach out to more people that have been looking for integrative medical care but have been unable to afford it. This is a major milestone for our patients, because now they aren’t forced to rely on what their insurance provider will and will not cover.” Branyon Integrative Medical Group specializes in the integrative treatment of Cancer, as well as other diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and COPD, among others.

“I was diagnosed with emphysema in 1999. By 2007, I was on oxygen for most of the day and all hours of sleep,” says Cliff G., one of Branyon Integrative Medical Group’s patients. “The procedure was uncomplicated, and without side effects of any kind. Now, eight weeks later, I am out on the riding mower, mowing our acre of yard!” Cliff acknowledges both good and bad days in the fight against his emphysema, but states that his decision to be treated at Branyon Integrative Medical Group “was one of the wisest choices made during this disease process and I am expecting even greater gains as time goes by.”

Branyon Integrative Medical Group offers its patients a specialized treatment protocol known as Origination Medicine ©, which consists of an impressive combination of therapies that stem from both traditional and alternative medical ideologies. The Origination program is also combined with access to autologous therapy and umbilical cord blood stem cell therapy. Branyon Integrative Medical Group acknowledges that stem cell therapy is not an approved treatment option in the United States and is not FDA approved. All patients interested in stem cell therapy are referred to a partner facility in either Mexico or Panama.

Dr. Fredda Branyon, NMD, the Founder and Director of Branyon Integrative Medical Group, collaborates with international experts in order to continually improve existing protocols. Branyon Integrative Medical Group’s treatment strategy incorporates the best modalities of both worlds, mainstream and alternative, according to individual needs. For questions regarding Origination Medicine ©, the New Hope Method © of cancer treatment, or other treatment protocols that are available, contact Branyon Integrative Medical Group at (866)524-4673, or email info@newhopemedicalcenter.com.

New Hope Medical Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, is already known around the world for its extremely effective comprehensive cancer treatment protocols, as well as the caring atmosphere and individualized therapies that thousands of patients have experienced in the clinic’s nine years of operation.  Beginning today, however, New Hope is destined to be recognized for something more: it’s newest complementary cancer treatment protocol that is possibly New Hope’s most successful alternative cancer treatment to date.

The physicians at New Hope Medical Center have seen great progress in alternative / complementary medicine in the past nine years.  Many more doctors and patients are educating themselves and their families in the benefits of these non-invasive therapies.  More of the general public has begun using preventive methods that both complement a healthy lifestyle and possibly reduce the risk of chronic disease.  Many cancer patients have also begun taking steps to detoxify the body and strengthen the immune system.  It is common knowledge that the immune system is the body’s first line of defense against bacteria, viruses, and diseases.  It is extremely important for a person to maintain the “internal milieu,” or the body’s natural balance that promotes good health and recovery.

New Hope Medical Center has always promoted “The New Hope Method” of treatment, a three-to-four week program which involves complementary protocols that work to strengthen the body’s natural defenses while aggressively combating tumors and other symptoms of chronic diseases such as cancer.  Although no cancer treatment can claim to cure the disease, many of New Hope’s patients have seen great success using this treatment strategy.  “My condition was to the point that I could barely talk and it took me four hours to eat,” says Bill L., a New Hope patient.  “Today, thanks to the people at New Hope, I have my voice back and can speak normally and I can eat.  I have gained back 30 of the pounds that I have lost.”  While the New Hope Method of treatment has produced these wonderful results, the physicians and staff felt that more could be done.

The founder and Director of New Hope Medical Center, Dr. Fredda Branyon, NMD, announced today that beginning next week, New Hope will offer a new treatment program known as Origination Medicine ©.    The Origination program consists of a slightly shorter treatment time (two weeks at the clinic), but offers so much more.  One of the greatest tools used by the Origination protocol is autologous therapy.  This type of treatment uses the patient’s own cells to combat injuries caused by cancerous tumors.  “I truly believe that this is one of the most comprehensive cancer treatment protocols to date,” Dr. Branyon stated.  “We have seen amazing results by combining several treatment methods, including detoxification, IV therapy, and autologous therapy.  Naturally, we will continue to maintain New Hope’s standards of excellent service by providing each patient with unique, individualized treatment protocols that have been designed for their specific situation.”  

New Hope Medical Center is currently scheduling patients to begin the Origination Medicine program on Monday, May 11, 2009.  For more information, please call (866)524-HOPE.

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Dr. Fredda Branyon collaborates with international experts in order to continually improve existing protocols.  New Hope Medical Center’s treatment strategy incorporates the best modalities of both worlds, mainstream and alternative, according to individual needs.  For questions regarding Origination Medicine © or the New Hope Method © of cancer treatment, contact New Hope Medical Center at (866)524-HOPE, or email info@newhopemedicalcenter.com.

ScienceDaily (Feb. 23, 2009) — More than 30 years ago the United States began embracing the theory, clinical practice and research of ancient Asian medical practices including non-contact therapeutic touch (NCTT). Now, according to a study at the University of Missouri, researchers discovered that 73 percent of patients receiving NCTT experienced a significant reduction in pain, had fewer requests for medication, and slept more comfortably following surgery.

An intentionally directed process of energy modulation to promote healing, NCTT allows practitioners to channel life energy through their hands to patients in a four-phase process. The four phases – centering, assessment, "unruffling" the field and intervention – allow a restoration of balance that enables ailing individuals to heal themselves. However, acceptance of the ideas that the human body is an energy-producing organism and that energy can be directed to benefit health is critical said Guy McCormack, lead researcher for the study and chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science in the MU School of Health Professions.

In order to discover the effectiveness of NCTT, McCormack studied 90 patients receiving occupational therapy post-surgery and divided them into an experimental group where non-contact therapeutic touch therapy was given, a placebo group where a metronome acted as the treatment, and a control group where the participants did not receive any form of rehabilitation. When describing non-contact therapeutic touch, McCormack said the process involves physics and human energy fields.

"There seems to be some subliminal aspects we are not aware of that may have to do with the connectivity between people," McCormack said. "People don't question how you can text someone, transmit messages through computers, or visual images through televisions; thus the belief system is very powerful. If people believe that NCTT is going to be beneficial and are knowledgeable of it, it will be beneficial."

While the participants receiving non-contact therapeutic touch had considerable reductions in pain, patients in the placebo and control groups experienced an increase in pain perception due to the mechanical intervention of the metronome and chance.

"Although it is difficult to introduce this form of therapy into medical settings, more and more hospitals are using complementary therapies like NCTT because consumers are interested in abandoning pharmacological solutions for pain, and instead are interested in harnessing their own capacity to heal through an inexpensive and cost-effective process," McCormack said.

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This is a very informative article regarding the effects of certain vegetable compounds on cancers. It is wonderful to see how modern science and medicine is returning to it more natural "roots" when searching for cures to today's most debilitating diseases.

(For the original article, CLICK HERE.)

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Compounds extracted from green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage could be a potent drug against melanoma, according to cancer researchers. Tests on mice suggest that these compounds, when combined with selenium, target tumors more safely and effectively than conventional therapy.

"There are currently no drugs to target the proteins that trigger melanoma," said Gavin Robertson, associate professor of pharmacology, pathology and dermatology, Penn State College of Medicine. "We have developed drugs from naturally occurring compounds that can inhibit the growth of tumors in mice by 50 to 60 percent with a very low dose."

Robertson and his colleagues previously showed the therapeutic potential of targeting the Akt3 protein in inhibiting the development of melanoma. The search for a drug to block the protein led them to a class of compounds called isothiocyanates.

These naturally occurring chemicals found in cruciferous vegetables are known to have certain cancer-fighting properties. However, the potency of these compounds is so low that a successful drug would require large impractical amounts of these compounds.

Instead, the Penn State researchers rewired the compounds by replacing their sulfur bonds with selenium. The result, they believe, is a more potent drug that can be delivered intravenously in low doses.

"Selenium deficiency is common in cancer patients, including those diagnosed with metastatic melanoma," explained Robertson, whose findings appear in the March edition of Clinical Cancer Research. "Besides, selenium is known to destabilize Akt proteins in prostate cancer cells."

To study the effectiveness of the new drug -- isoselenocyanate -- researchers injected mice with 10 million cancer cells. Six days later, when the animals developed large tumors, they were divided into two groups and treated separately with either the vegetable compounds or the compounds supplemented with selenium.

"We found that the selenium-enhanced compounds significantly reduced the production of Akt3 protein and shut down its signaling network," explained Robertson, who is also associate director of translational research and leader of the experimental therapeutics program at Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute. The modified compounds also reduced the growth of tumors by 60 percent, compared to the vegetable-based compounds alone.

When the researchers exposed three different human melanoma cell lines to the two compounds, the selenium-enhanced drug worked better on some cell lines than others. The efficiency was from 30 to 70 percent depending on the cell line.

The exact mechanism of how selenium inhibits cancer remains unclear. However Robertson, who has a filed provisional patent on the discovery, is convinced that the use of naturally occurring compounds that target cancer-causing proteins could lead to more effective ways of treating melanoma.

"We have harnessed something found in nature to target melanoma," said Robertson. "And since we only need tiny amounts to kill the cancer cells, it means even less toxic side-effects for the patient."

Human trials of the new drug are still some years away, but the Penn State researcher envisions a drug that could be delivered either intravenously to treat melanoma, or added to sunscreen lotion to prevent the disease.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Other researchers on the paper include Arati Sharma and Arun K. Sharma, both assistant professors; Subbarao V. Madhunapantula, postdoctoral scholar; Dhimant Desai, associate professor; Sung Jin Huh, graduate student, and Shantu Amin, professor, all in the department of pharmacology, and Paul Mosca, assistant professor of surgery, Lehigh Valley and Health Network.

The American Cancer Society, The Foreman Foundation for Melanoma Research, National Institutes of Health, Elsa U. Pardee Foundation, and Melanoma Research Foundation funded this work.

Source: Amitabh Avasthi
Penn State