LE: Life Extension Update 2001 JUNE 15

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LIFE EXTENSION UPDATE JUNE 15 2001

IN THIS ISSUE, JUNE 15 2001:

LIFE EXTENSION UPDATE EXCLUSIVE: Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences
reports on suspended animation

WHAT'S HOT: Vitamin C and lipoic acid toxic to cancer cells;

PROTOCOL: Pancreatic cancer;

FEATURED PRODUCTS OF THE WEEK: Spes, Ultrasoy

ENTER LIFE EXTENSION'S WEEKLY POLL

LIFE EXTENSION UPDATE EXCLUSIVE
Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences reports on suspended animation

In an article entitled, "Oxygen deprivation causes suspended animation in
the zebrafish embryo," researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center in Seattle reported that zebrafish embryos deprived of oxygen for
twenty-four hours entered a state in which heartbeat and all
microscopically observable movement (including cell division and
developmental progression) ceased. The embryos resumed normal development
upon return to a normal oxygen environment, and went on to reproduce.
The control embryos in a normal atmosphere underwent cell division at a
rate of 15%. This discovery is hoped to aid in understanding how to
control stem cell division and tumor growth, as well as in the prevention
of ischemic injury caused by lack of oxygen-delivering blood to the
tissues. The finding was published in the June 12 2001 issue of
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Lead researcher Mark Roth, Ph.D., of the Hutchinson Center's Basic
Sciences Division, stated, "Stem cells - like those that give rise to your
skin - are self-renewing and have the capacity to reproduce at certain
times in your life. Some of those cells might be dividing right now,
while others withhold their proliferation potential until a later time.
Lots of scientists are interested in how cells maintain this state of
quiescence and then resume cell division. Numerous organisms have
naturally occurring states of suspended animation. About 70 species of
mammals alone do this as a way to increase reproductive fitness. For
example, mice delay implantation of their embryos in the uterus while they
are lactating. The embryos halt implantation - and any further development
- until lactation stops."

Dr Roth notes that when humans are deprived of oxygen for a length of time
they suffer from brain damage, but others humans undergoing extreme forms
of stress experience metabolic shutdown and survive without apparent harm,
such as the case of a lost Canadian girl whose temperature fell to 61
degrees and who had no heartbeat for two hours, yet remarkably recovered.
He asked, "What makes some animals -and even some people, like the case of
the frozen little girl in Canada - able to survive extreme stress?
Wouldn't it be great to have some control over this process?"

Dr Roth's next task is determining the molecular path that allows this
type of recovery. "Understanding the mechanisms that control biological
quiescence could have dramatic implications for medical care, as it could
give us an ability to control life processes at the most basic,
fundamental level," he summarized.

WHAT'S HOT

"What's Hot" features original articles on the latest news in health and
medicine. New items are posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Visit
What's Hot at
http://www.lef.org/cgi-local/welcome.cgi/id=151064771/sgroup_id=699/welcome.
html

Vitamin C and lipoic acid toxic to cancer cells

A study published in the British Journal of Cancer showed that vitamin C
administered in an in vitro model of cancer caused the death of cancer
cells. The addition of lipoic acid provided a synergistic effect.

Researchers acting on experimental and clinical evidence that vitamin C
increases survival in cancer patients and inhibits tumor growth utilized a
tumor model to test the anticancer effects of varying concentrations of
vitamin C as well as combinations of vitamin C with phenyl ascorbate, (a
lipophilic vitamin C analog), vitamin K3, two forms of lipoic acid and
doxorubicin, a chemotherapy drug. To discover whether the effective
concentrations were achievable in humans, the researchers experimentally
infused a cancer patient volunteer with varying amounts of vitamin C to
determine peak plasma concentrations.

Ascorbic acid alone was found to increase the percentage of apoptotic and
necrotic cells in the cancer model, but the high concentration necessary
may not always be attainable by intravenous vitamin C infusion. However,
the addition of lipoic acid synergized with vitamin C to a point at which
significant death of tumor cells could occur at concentrations readily
achievable by IV (30 to 60 grams). The tumor cell-killing effect of
vitamin C was additively enhanced by phenyl ascorbate and vitamin K3.

One of the concerns in regard to antioxidant consumption concomitant with
chemotherapy is that antioxidant nutrients will protect the tumor cells
from the drug's tumoricidal effects. With doxorubicin, low doses of
vitamin C appeared to protect cells from the effect of the drug, while
high doses increased its tumoricidal efficacy.
One of vitamin C's mechanisms of action in combating cancer is that of a
pro-oxidant, with high concentrations of vitamin C producing hydrogen
peroxide at a level that kills tumor cells. Other mechanisms include
enhanced immune response, strengthening of the extracellular matrix
against tumor cell invasion and a reduction in the severity of cachexia.
http://www.lef.org/whatshot/index.html#vcal

PROTOCOL
Pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality in the
United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that 29,000 Americans
died of the disease in 1998. Conventional medicine's inability to
effectively treat pancreatic cancer is evidenced by survival rates of only
18% at 1 year and 4% at 5 years--one of the poorest five year survival
rates of any cancer. There is evidence in the scientific literature that
the proper combination of cell-differentiating agents and cytotoxic
chemotherapy may slow the progression of pancreatic cancer. In order to
have a realistic chance of achieving a significant remission, the use of
experimental therapies is highly recommended. This article succinctly
describes some of the promising new therapies currently being studied.

In Europe, oncologists are combining 5-FU with borage oil (gamma-linolenic
acid) to improve the cancer cell-killing effects of the 5- FU. Cancer
patients using 5-FU might consider supplementing with the high dose of
2400 mg of gamma-linolenic acid from borage oil. Borage oil is available
in health food stores and through the Life Extension Foundation.

The September 17, 1998, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine
published a study on a product called PC Spes that was 100% effective in
reducing PSA levels in advanced prostate cancer patients. The company that
makes PC Spes to treat prostate cancer also makes a herbal preparation to
treat breast and certain other cancers called Spes. The Spes preparation
has been shown effective in the years that Foundation members have been
using it. The studies show that Spes works best against cancers with a
mutated p53 oncogene and an over-expressed N-RAS gene. Cancer patients
have been getting good results when combining Spes with high-dose soy
extract, curcumin, and 83% green tea extract.
http://www.lef.org/cgi-local/welcome.cgi/id=151064773/sgroup_id=699/welcome.
html