My Note: I
caution you on the title of this press release as it is a leap from curing
leukemia in mice to curing it in humans. However, this is very promising and a
glimmer of hope. Human clinical trials will be starting soon, so if you or
someone you know is interested, they should contact their doctor to see about
getting added to the list.
Fish oil has
many benefits and it would be wonderful if this could be added to its long list
of health benefits, but of course more research is needed. The great part is,
fish oil would not interfere with any medications being taken, allowing the patient
to experience a possible successful treatment without having to stop current treatments.
I highly
recommend printing this out and taking it to your doctor so he/she can look
into this research further and offer to help get you in touch with the those
conducting the clinical trials.
Leukemia is
such a frightening disease, especially to those of us who are parents. I pray
to see a cure for it, wherever it may come from, in my lifetime.
Possible Cure for Leukemia Found in Fish Oil
by Press Release : Dec 29, 2011 : Pennsylvania State University
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222103112.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222103112.htm
"We have shown that some
metabolites of Omega-3 have the ability to selectively kill the
leukemia-causing stem cells in mice. The important thing is that the
mice were completely cured of leukemia with no relapse." -Sandeep Prabhu
NOTE FROM FOUNDING EDITOR: I'm
sorry for those of you whom this discovery may be coming too late. Though it
may take some time before the patent is approved, if it is granted, its value
will be beyond comprehension, both in what it will accomplish and its monetary
worth. -Steve Shultz
(Pennsylvania) - A compound produced
from fish oil that appears to target leukemia stem cells could lead to a cure
for the disease, according to Penn State researchers.
The compound - delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3 - targeted
and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, in mice,
said Sandeep Prabhu, associate professor of immunology and molecular toxicology
in the Department of Veterinary and Medical Sciences. The compound is produced
from EPA - Eicosapentaenoic Acid - an Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and in
fish oil, he said. (Photo: The compound shown above is D12-PGJ2, which
closely resembles delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3, a compound that
targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia or CML in
mice. Credit: Sandeep Prabhu)
"Research in the past on fatty
acids has shown the health benefits of fatty acids on cardiovascular system and
brain development, particularly in infants, but we have shown that some
metabolites of Omega-3 have the ability to selectively kill the
leukemia-causing stem cells in mice," said Prabhu. "The important
thing is that the mice were completely cured of leukemia with no relapse."
The researchers, who released their
findings in the current issue of Blood, said the compound kills cancer-causing
stem cells in the mice's spleen and bone marrow. Specifically, it activates a
gene - p53 - in the leukemia stem cell that programs the cell's own death.
"p53 is a tumor suppressor gene
that regulates the response to DNA damage and maintains genomic
stability," Prabhu said.
Killing the stem cells in leukemia, a
cancer of the white blood cells, is important because stem cells can divide and
produce more cancer cells, as well as create more stem cells, Prabhu said.
The current therapy for CML extends the
patient's life by keeping the number of leukemia cells low, but the drugs fail
to completely cure the disease because they do not target leukemia stem cells,
said Robert Paulson, associate professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences,
who co-directed this research with Prabhu.
"The patients must take the drugs
continuously," said Paulson. "If they stop, the disease relapses
because the leukemia stem cells are resistant to the drugs."
Current treatments are unable to kill
the leukemia stem cells, Paulson said.
"These stem cells can hide from the
treatment, and a small population of stem cells give rise to more leukemia
cells," said Paulson. "So, targeting the stem cells is essential if
you want to cure leukemia."
During the experiments, the researchers
injected each mouse with about 600 nanograms of D12-PGJ3 each day for a week.
Tests showed that the mice were completely cured of the disease. The blood
count was normal, and the spleen returned to normal size. The disease did not
relapse.
In previous experiments, the compound
also killed the stem cells of Friend Virus-induced leukemia, an experimental
model for human leukemia.
The researchers focused on D12-PGJ3
because it killed the leukemia stem cells, but had the least number of side
effects. The researchers currently are working to determine whether the
compound can be used to treat the terminal stage of CML, referred to as Blast
Crisis. There are currently no drugs available that can treat the disease when
it progresses to this stage.
The researchers, who applied for a patent, are also preparing to
test the compound in human trials.
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