All posts by Chris

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

Doorway in Blood Vessels Allows Breast Cancer to Spread Via the Blood

Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon
Breast Cancer Can Be Spread Through The Blood

What if you could literally close the door on metastasizing cancer? A recent U.S. study has discovered this doorway, and Issels® wants to let you in on the latest findings and how they might benefit your cancer treatment goals…

Escape artists
When three specific types of cells work together, cancer can escape into the blood stream. Their plan?

  • Cancer cells near blood vessels interact with macrophages, a type of white blood cell.
  • The macrophages release a protein, called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which increases the permeability or leakiness of endothelial cells in the blood vessel wall.
  • A doorway is temporarily created, through which cancer cells escape and spread into the bloodstream.

The right environment
Previously, what regulated the permeability of blood vessel walls at the escape site wasn’t clear. However thanks to the new imaging studies, the mechanism has been identified: macrophages at the tumor microenvironment of metastasis (TMEM), or TMEM macrophages.

Closing the door
While the VGEF protein produced by macrophages in the aforementioned escape process is already the target of existing cancer drugs, the recent study shows how this leakiness – cancer’s escape hatch – can be switched on and off by TMEM macrophages – the specific immune cells playing accomplice to the great escape.

A new frontier
The work performed on mice and building on previous findings from the Albert Einstein Cancer Center and Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care, could lead to new drugs for preventing the spread of cancer.

Are your ready to close the door on cancer treatment? Kick cancer out for good and throw away the key with the help of Issels® today!

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Cancer Cells are Rogues that Dedifferentiate: An Interesting New Study

Learning About Cancer
Learning About Cancer

Issels® Center for Immuno-Oncology recently discovered an interesting study, linking the Darwinian theory of evolution to the origin of cancer. Life, a delicate web of biological compromises, can go awry with the rogue dedifferentiation of a single cell…

A harmonious cooperative
In evolutionist theory, cooperation gives rise to multicellular organisms from plants to mammals. Surrendering autonomy, single cells prosper with the whole rather than the ruthless competition of their predecessors, singular primordial cells.

Different, but the same
Cells in a healthy multicellular organism differentiate, performing specialized tasks and working for the good of the whole: skin, blood, bone cells and more benefit each other.

Getting greedy
What happens when a cell breaks loose, selfishly multiplies and expands its territory? The free-for-all of Darwin’s pond results in cancer, a selfish dedifferentiation that benefits only itself through excess reproduction and overconsumption of resources. Pathological behavior that ultimately degrades the environment to the rogue’s own advantage, but which ultimately destroys the ecosystem, resulting in its own demise.

Deadly deception
How does this result from a single rogue cell? The cancer cell divides and mutates, creating separate lineages (subclones) with different abilities. Each family of mutated cells works together to make what is necessary for the growth of the tumor, even tricking healthy cells to do their own bidding.

Is there a choice?
The study identified similar kinds of “cellular cheating” in most multicellular organisms: mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, insects – even in plants and fungi; an inescapable consequence of multicellularity.

Is your body’s rebellious side getting the better of you? Issels® can help bring your body back to balance. Contact us today.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, News

Off-Label Arthritis Drug Shows Promise in Blood Cancer Treatment

Nano Pills To Detect Cancer
Blood Cancer Treatments

A common drug used in the treatment of arthritis may offer a new hope for cancer patients. At one thousandth of the cost of today’s latest blood cancer treatment, Issels® wanted to let you know about this important discovery.

The arthritis drug in question:
Methotrexate. A drug commonly used to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and psoriasis. A World Health Organization ‘Essential Medicine’, the drug is well-understood, and if results are confirmed, could be used for treatment throughout the developing world. A one year course of low-dose treatment: $46. The cost for a single 60 tablet bottle of the current treatment, ruxolitinib: over $9,000. It is so costly that many retail pharmacies refuse to stock it.

What is it being purported to treat?
Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Typically seen in the 50-70 age range, MPN causes an overproduction of blood cells in the body. Symptoms include night sweats, itching, and tiredness. Though ruxolitinib has been developed for the treatment of MPN, it prices itself out of the market for most patients, whose treatment is otherwise limited to aspirin, excess blood removal, and chemotherapy.

What’s next?
Though further testing following the research performed by U.K.’s University of Sheffield confirmed the results, clinical trials are now being scheduled at Royal Hallamshire Hospital. Once complete, the new course of treatment with the repurposed drug could offer financial relief not only patients, but local and regional healthcare systems as well. The study could spawn research into the repurposing of other, previously safety tested, prescription drugs.

Are your cancer treatment options overwhelming your budget? At Issels® , you have options. Contact us today.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Which Type of Prostate Cancer Do You Have? Scientists Find 5 Types

Prostate Cancer In Men
Prostate Cancer In Men

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. men, with 1 in 7 being diagnosed. Experts now say that there are five distinct types of prostate cancer. How can this help you in your prostate cancer battle? Issels® Center for Immuno-Oncology wants you to know…

Identifying the pieces
In the landmark study, samples of healthy and cancerous prostate tissue from over 250 men were analyzed, looking for abnormal chromosomes and measuring the activity of 100 different genes linked to the disease. Tumors of five distinct types were uncovered, each with a unique genetic fingerprint.

Putting the puzzle together
Prior research had identified six of the genes associated with prostate cancer, however the other 94 remained in hiding until brought to light by this recent study.

Solving the puzzle
The findings from this study could dramatically change the way prostate cancer is treated in the future. In identifying characteristics of the tumors, the scientists in the study were able to be more accurate at predicting aggressive, rapidly spreading cancers than today’s tests, such as the PSA test and Gleason score.

The missing piece
Current treatment methods, which result in some patients getting unnecessary treatment (and having to manage side effects) while others with more aggressive forms of prostate cancer often go without the intensive treatments they need will be impacted by this important study.  The study findings could save lives by allowing doctors the opportunity to quickly identify specific cancer subtypes. This specialized classification may allow a more fitting course of treatment for each patient and help those identified with the aggressive classification of prostate cancer to get treatment faster and earlier. Before this typing of prostate cancer tumors can be used to start saving lives however, a larger trial needs to be done.

Looking for a center for immune-oncology that can handle every healthcare variable? Issels® has you covered! Contact us today.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, News

Levitating Cells May Lead to a Cancer Cure Breakthrough

Super Charged Cells
levitating Cells

Our Issels® team is extremely supportive of any process that makes detecting cancer cells easier, which is why we are highly enthusiastic about research published in May’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences about a potential new diagnostic tool that can detect cancer at the cellular level in a fast and simple way.

Researchers at Stanford University have learned how to detect and identify different types of cancer cells by levitating them.

It’s Not Magic

When most people hear the word “levitate,” they think of magicians tricking audiences into believing magic exists by floating objects or people in the air.

Scientists have discovered that they can levitate animals by injecting them with a material that reacts to the presence of magnets. The Stanford researchers wondered if they could do the same with cells to determine if cells had different measurable magnetic field levitation profiles. As cells are too small to inject with materials without damaging them, the researchers decided to test their theory using a buoyant force:

  • They placed a channel of gadolinium-laced fluid between two small magnets and soon found that any cells that were less dense than gadolinium levitated above it.
  • They learned that cancer cells levitated above healthy cells and that cancer, bacteria, blood and yeast cells levitated at different heights.
  • They also discovered that cells that form different types of cancer, such as breast, colorectal, esophageal and non-small cell lung had unique profiles and levitated at different heights.

For more information about this astounding new diagnostic test research, or any of our currently available testing and treatment methods, contact any Issels® center for Immuno-Oncology today!

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Epigenomics Research May Stop Progression of Late Stage Cancers

Advances In Genetics
Advanced Cancer Research

A late stage cancer patient’s survival depends a great deal on his/her doctor doing whatever possible to determine the cause of that cancer. At the Issels® Centers for Immuno-Oncology, our teams use every means at our disposal to understand your cancer and create a personalized treatment plan. We take into account new diagnosis, prevention and treatment options.

Research details announced in June give new hope for late stage patients: Mayo Clinic oncologists and an international team revealed that they may have found a way to stop the spread of late stage cancers using epigenomics and epigenetics research.

Additionally, they may be able to use their research to soon identify people predisposed to certain cancers before early tumor formation.

How do epigenomics and epigenetics help?

  • Epigenomics is a discipline that focuses on the study of epigenomes – chemical compounds that change a genome without changing the DNA they surround – and their role in cells correctly reading and following genetic blueprints.
  • Epigenetics is the study of all processes that dictate how gene expression changes, the timing of those changes and the results.

The Simplicity of Comparison

The researchers compared normal DNA and tumor-sourced mutated DNA and learned that the loss of H3K36me3 expression plays a role in aggressive late stage cancers. Their new treatment method is not yet approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, but they are currently offering experimental treatment to volunteers as part of their continued research.

To learn more about this and other new treatment options, contact us today!