Category Archives: News

News, Uncategorized

High Fat Diets Are Linked to Colon Cancer

High Fat Diets Are Linked to Colon Cancer
High Fat Diets Are Linked to Colon Cancer

Doctors regularly warn patients that obesity is linked to an increased risk of cancer. A study by researchers at MIT has shed some light on how high-fat diets can trigger colon cancer.

The Role of Stem Cells in Colon Cancer

Colon cancer arises from mutations that tend to accumulate among intestinal stem cells, which last a lifetime. Omer Yilmaz, an assistant professor of biology at MIT, led a team that set out to discover the process behind these cellular changes.

For nine months to a year, Yilmaz and his team fed healthy mice a diet composed of 60 percent fat. In addition to gaining up to 50 percent more body mass, these mice developed more intestinal tumors than those on a healthy diet.

Effects of High-Fat Diet on Intestinal Cells

Researchers observed significant changes in the intestinal stem cells of the mice:

  • The mice eating a high-fat diet had a higher number of intestinal stem cells. In addition, they were able to operate free of input from niche cells that normally regulate stem cell activity.
  • Progenitor cells, which are differentiated “daughters” of stem cells, began to take on characteristics of stem cells, including longer life span and ability to generate mini-intestines outside the body.

Yilmaz is hopeful that, with further investigation, this information will lead to identifying new methods of cancer treatment for obesity-related tumors.

The Issels® Difference: Non-Toxic, Personally Tailored Cancer Treatment

We use genomic and other specialized testing to make sure our cancer treatment is designed to meet your specific needs. Contact us to learn more about cancer vaccines and other immunotherapy programs at Issels®.

Cancer Research, News

Zika Virus and Brain Cancer – New Research is Underway

Could There be a Connection Between Zika and Brain Cancer?
Could There be a Connection Between Zika and Brain Cancer?

The Zika virus is back in the news, but this time the stories are positive. Researchers in the UK are planning a groundbreaking test to determine whether the Zika virus can destroy brain tumor cells.

Thinking Outside the Box

Cancer Research UK uses its Pioneer Awards to encourage innovation that could lead to game-changing new methods in the fight against cancer. Dr. Harry Bulstrode of the University of Cambridge is the most recent recipient.

The target of Dr. Bulstrode’s test is glioblastoma, the most aggressive and commonly occurring form of brain cancer. Laboratory research will be conducted on tumor cells in mice.

Why the Zika Virus?

Immunotherapy for cancer and other current treatments have two major drawbacks:

• The treatments are unable to cross the blood-brain barrier.

• Low doses must be administered to avoid harming healthy tissue.

The Zika virus has neither of these restrictions. It can cross the blood-brain barrier and target cancer cells rather than healthy ones.

While Zika virus infection in pregnant women causes severe disabilities in babies by attacking stem cells in developing brains, it generally causes only mild flu-like symptoms in adults who have fully developed brains.

The crucial difference is that glioblastoma cells have a similar makeup to cells in developing brains. Dr. Bulstrode is hopeful that the Zika virus can be used to attack the tumor cells and spare healthy tissue.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: A Game-Changer

When it comes to game-changing treatments, immunotherapy for cancer has been leading the way. Contact us to learn more about how personally tailored immunotherapy treatments at Issels® have helped patients achieve long-term remission.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy for Cancer, News, Uncategorized

New Treatment Medications Target Biomarkers in Cancer Versus Location

2 Comments
New Treatment Medications Target Biomarkers in Cancer Versus Location
New Treatment Medications Target Biomarkers in Cancer Versus Location

For many years, cancer treatment has traditionally focused on a tumor’s point of origin. A new form of immunotherapy for cancer that targets biomarkers could open the door for more precise and effective treatment of tumors.

Keytruda: A “Presidential” Immunotherapy for Cancer

Keytruda is the brand name of a drug that had previously been used to treat specific types of cancer such as melanoma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma, often during Stage IV. The drug earned public notice when former president Jimmy Carter received successful treatment for brain tumors resulting from Stage IV melanoma.

In May 2017, after five clinical trials, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved Keytruda for use in treating tumors with a particular biomarker, regardless of location. At this point, the new use of Keytruda is limited to patients for whom other therapies have been unsuccessful.

Cutting Through the Red Tape

The new application for Keytruda was fast-tracked under the FDA’s Accelerated Approval program. If there’s a serious condition with no options for treatment, a drug can be approved solely on the basis that it’s been shown to shrink tumors.

Dr. Gwen Nichols, chief medical officer of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), expressed excitement for the new approval process. According to Nichols, it lets researchers focus on the biology of tumor development instead of looking for generic treatments.

Immunotherapy for Cancer Is the Talk of the Medical Community

Doctors and scientists have been buzzing about advancements in immunotherapy, but Issels® has been ahead of the curve for decades. Visit our website to learn more about our innovative immunotherapy for cancer treatments that are personally tailored for your individual needs.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News, Uncategorized

New Blood Test Identifies Which Prostate Cancer Patients Will Respond Favorably to Specific Medications

New Blood Test Identifies Which Prostate Cancer Patients Will Respond Favorably to Specific Medications
New Blood Test Identifies Which Prostate Cancer Patients Will Respond Favorably to Specific Medications

No two cases of cancer are identical, which makes it a challenge to determine what course of cancer treatment will be most effective. Scientists are excited about a new three-in-one blood test that may open the door for precision treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Three-Pronged Attack on Prostate Cancer

Professor Johann de Bono, leader of the team at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, explained the three functions of the blood test:

• Blood samples are initially checked for the presence of mutated BRCA genes.

• Once treatment begins, DNA in the blood is monitored to determine whether or not the patient is responding.

• In the final step, blood is tested for signs of evolving cancer that is developing a resistance to drugs.

Overcoming Cancer’s Defense Mechanisms

Cancer cells with BRCA mutations use a specific enzyme to repair themselves, making tumors resistant to treatment. Drugs called Parp inhibitors block these enzymes, causing cancer cells to die off. The blood test helps to identify patients who are most likely to respond to Parp inhibitors.

The Institute of Cancer Research’s chief executive, Paul Workman, praised the test as a simple, inexpensive and non-invasive method to develop precision cancer treatment. While the test currently focuses on prostate cancer, Professor de Bono believes it can be adapted to other forms of cancer in the future.

Issels®: Matching the Right Treatment to the Right Patient

Specialized testing has long been a part of our integrative and personalized cancer treatment programs. Contact us to learn more about how Issels® uses cancer vaccines and other immunotherapy treatments to help patients of all ages.

Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, News

Cancer Research Embraces the Age of Super Computing

Supercomputers Catapult Speed of Research Ahead.
Supercomputers Catapult Speed of Research Ahead.

Can technology be the key that unlocks the secret to curing cancer? A report from the Cancer Moonshot Task Force confirmed the importance of supercomputers to research focusing on immunotherapy for cancer and other effective treatments.

HPC: A High-Tech Weapon Against Cancer

The Cancer Moonshot program originated in 2016 with the support of then-Vice President Joe Biden. At the time, Energy Secretary Ernie Monitz, a member of the task force, wrote about the role of high performance computing (HPC) in analyzing complex databases to identify patterns and other vital information.

How Cancer Researchers Use HPC

HPC systems such as the one at the Texas Advanced Computing Center use seven basic methodologies to understand cancer biology and possible treatments.

• Molecular simulations of protein and drug interactions help to create more effective treatments.

• Bioinformatics unravel the complexities of cancer genomes.

• Mathematical modeling is used to develop formulas that predict how cancer will behave.

• Quantum calculations help to refine radiation therapies.

• Computational treatment planning creates the pinpoint accuracy required to prevent radiation from damaging organs and healthy tissues.

• Computational trial design is used in immunotherapy for cancer to gauge the correct combination of dosages.

• Machine learning is how researchers develop algorithms and other statistical methods to analyze and interpret massive datasets.

Cancer Treatment Is Not “One Size Fits All”

Issels® uses state-of-the-art testing methods to design a personalized immunotherapy for cancer treatment that addresses a patient’s specialized needs. Contact us to learn more about cancer vaccines, NK cells, hyperthermia and other non-toxic treatment programs at Issels®.

Breast Cancer, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, News, Stage Four Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

Olivia Newton John Shares News of Her Breast Cancer Metastasis

Olivia Newton John Shares News of Her Breast Cancer Metastasis
Olivia Newton John Shares News of Her Breast Cancer Metastasis

Actress and singer Olivia Newton-John has campaigned to raise awareness of cancer research since she began fighting the disease in 1992. In May she made the sad announcement that her breast cancer had returned and spread to her lower spine.

The Prognosis for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Newton-John’s breast cancer is metastatic, also known as Stage IV, which refers to cancer that begins in one area of the body and spreads to other organs or tissues. It was discovered when the singer postponed a concert tour due to lower back pain that was originally thought to be sciatica.

Family and friends remain positive, and Newton-John herself plans to resume touring in August. While metastatic breast cancer is a serious issue, doctors say that Newton-John and other women with this diagnosis have reason for optimism.

Five-Year Survival by the Numbers

A recent study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention discovered that the five-year survival rate for women with metastatic breast cancer had reached 36 percent during the last 10 years. That number is double the five-year survival rate for women diagnosed in the early 1990s.

According to Dr. Sagar Sardesai of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, the healthcare community has begun thinking of metastatic breast cancer as a chronic disease. Physicians are working with patients cancer treatment programs that relieve symptoms and improve their quality of life.

Stage IV Cancer Treatment at Issels®

If you have been diagnosed with metastatic cancer, there is hope. Visit our website to read and hear testimonials from patients with Stage IV cancer in all forms who have been successfully treated with our immunotherapy programs.