Epigenetics proving orthodox oncology wrong about vitamins

[gdpawel]

Johns Hopkins says Epigenetics is proving orthodox oncology wrong about supplements

Research on epigenetics at Johns Hopkins is proving orthodox oncology wrong about supplements. Evidence from their research suggests that the epigenome can be influenced by the environment which means that epigenetic modifications that lead to carcinogenesis may be reversible by changing the environment.

What is meant by environment? The environment is the totality of surrounding conditions - the milieu of the cell. What affects the milieu of the cell? Toxins, viruses, carcinogens, diet, essentially everything that our cells are exposed to. Detoxification followed by the creation of a healthy milieu with appropriate diet and supplements benefits cancer patients.

Such a concept is heresy to the orthodoxy within the oncology community that determines research priorities. The viability of detoxification (removing toxins, viruses, carcinogens and other biological contaminants from the body) followed by improving what a patient consumes (organic, whole, vegetarian foods, vitamin supplements, etc.) as a cancer therapy has been summarily rejected by the cancer establishment for decades (most cancer patients are offered artificially colored, sugared and preserved foods during their hospital stays).

Despite the growing empiric and anecdotal data that demonstrate that these factors do play a role in distinguishing long-term cancer survivors, the orthodoxy within the oncology community has rejected such treatment approaches as worthless. Part of their reasoning has included that there are no biological mechanisms to support such a modality. However, epigenetics is providing a plausible biological mechanism.

Is detoxification and diet a viable cancer modality by itself or in combination with other approaches? There are many long-term survivors who swear it is and offer their existence as proof. What is clear is that our body and the environment are one, as epigenetics proves, the environment can effect how our genes work within our cells.

As epigenetics has become an accepted science perhaps it is time researchers took the next step and asked what role epigenetics may play in reversing cancer and what lifestyle decisions and exposures may impact such a role. Perhaps some resources focused on the mechanistic, reductionist and overwhelmingly failed gene therapies can be redirected.

[gdpawel]

Inheritance is more than just genes. A new wave of research is unravelling the secrets beyond genes to identify what other biological information parents pass to their offspring, and cells pass on when they divide. It seems that it is not just genes that are inherited from one generation to the next but other factors that particularly affect development and disease (like cancer).

Every human being is made up of billions of tiny cells. These cells are constantly dividing and muliplying to replace dead or damaged cells. Within each cell is a complete set of all the genes that make up the coded instructions for the whole organism. Parents pass on their genetic information and associated traits to the offspring, and cells pass it on as they divide.

Because of their role in determining the functions and traits of a living organism scientists are researching genes in cell organisms to try and find out what they do. This has led to important discoveries including genes linked to breast cancer in humans.

Genes are sections of DNA. DNA looks a bit like a twisted ladder commonly called a double helix. The double helix DNA is packed into a structure called chromatin which forms chromosomes.

Research into what happens in cells has shown something remarkable. It is not just the genes that influence the traits and functions of an organism but also epigenetic or non-gene factors. These epigenetic factors are features within the cell that can be inherited when cells divide but they don't change the genes themselves. However, epigenetic factors can modify the behavior of genes. Epigenetic factors have important roles in regulating human disease.

Understanding epigenetics is fundamental to unravelling the intricacies of how genes and organisms work. Because of its fundamental nature epigenetics has broad potential implications across all the biological sciences.

Epigenetics links the fields of genetics and developmental biology. Epigenetics is the fundamental biological process by which organisms with two or more different cell types establish patterns of differential gene expression (turns on) that are stable through cell division.

Researchers discovered that chromatin, the complex formed by DNA and histones (proteins that bind strongly to DNA, thereby packaging it in chromosomes) regulate gene expression. This additional layer of regulatory instructions, which are not held in DNA, comprise the epigenetic code.

Epigenetic differences explain why two cloned organisms are not the same or why twins develop illnesses of distinct genetic origin. Epigenics not only adds to our understanding of the relations between the environment and genetics but also provides an explanation of the basic aspects of cell biology. Deciphering and understanding the epigenome will shed light on fundamental processes in cell physiology.

This knowledge will improve our understanding of the development of tumors and other diseases, and may lead to the design of new treatments for these conditions. A new family of epigenetic drugs, designed to reverse the changes in the epigenome that occur during the development of several kinds of cancer, is currently available. Several of these pharmacological agents are now being used to treat some types of leukemia and breast cancer.

Ting AH, et al, Genes Dev. 2006 Dec 1;20(23):3215-31

Szyf M., Bull Cancer. 2006 Sep 1;93(9):961-72