Alternative Cancer Treatment through Antineoplastons
Introduction
Due to the heterogeneous nature of the disease, multifarious approaches are used to combat cancer. Some of these therapeutic techniques like radiation or chemotherapy are painful and at the same time, accompanied by unwanted reactions in patients. Scientists had been hunting for natural agents which can prevent or cure the deadly disease - cancer. It has been proven that the antioxidants present in fruits and vegetables can prevent the occurrence of cancer to a large extent. Certain natural substances like turmeric have shown curative action on various cancers. Moving on the same lines, Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski identified certain naturally occurring peptides in human blood and named them as Antineoplastons. According to him, they can serve as good agents for alternative cancer treatment.
Antineoplastons are certain naturally occurring amino acid derivatives which can be derived from the blood or urine of a healthy person. They can also be extracted from diary products. According to Dr. Burzynski, many patients suffering from advanced resistant types of cancers have been cured successfully using this technique. It can be an effective alternative for the painful anticancer therapeutic approaches.
Discovery of Antineoplastons
The discovery of Antineoplastons started when Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski noticed a significant difference in the peptide content between the serum of patient suffering from cancer and a normal person. Antineoplastons, which are generally seen within the blood of healthy people, were found to be absent in cancer patients. Absence of these Antineoplastons in blood samples of cancer patients made him to detect the anti-cancer potential of these agents. Peptides, similar to those identified within serum, were also detected in urine. He identified five different peptides and named them as Antineoplaston A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5. The most active and well researched Antineoplaston is A10 (3-phenylacetylamino-2,6-piperidinedione). Two synthetic derivatives of A10 were later discovered which are AS2-1 and AS2-5.
Anti-cancerous Activities of Antineoplastons
Apoptosis or programmed cell death of neutrophils has been found to be a critical event in the development of breast cancer. A10 can reverse this apoptosis, hence stimulating a constructive immune response against cancer. A10 has the capacity to modulate the immune system, helping to cure the immune defects in patients suffering from breast cancer [2]. It also stimulates the process of apoptosis in human hepatic cancer cell lines. When administered to breast cancer cell lines, A10 was found to arrest the cell cycle at the Gap1 phase [3]. Antineoplastons have been tested against various cancers in phases I and II of clinical trials. However, further research in this line was not encouraged and hence Antineoplastons did not receive FDA approval.
Dietary Source of Antineoplastons
Antineoplastons have been found in high concentrations in diary products like farmer’s cheese, milk and whey. They not only switch off the harmful oncogenes, but also activate the friendly tumor suppressor genes. Hence, consumption of these diary products not only protects us from cancer, but also shows anti-aging properties [4].
Should this alternative method of cancer treatment encouraged?
Unfortunately, Dr Burzynski’s was badly criticized and was not allowed to carry further research in this area. He claims that many patients suffering from resistant and advanced stages of cancer had been cured by use of Antineoplastons. A right encouragement from the scientific community can help making this alternative treatment method accessible to a common man. Even the advanced stages of cancer which remain untreatable by normal therapeutic approaches can be handled.
References
1. Burzynski SR. Antineoplastons: history of the research (I). Drugs Exp Clin Res. 1986; 12 Suppl 1: 1-9.
2. Badria F, Mabed M, et al. Immune modulatory potentials of antineoplaston A-10 in breast cancer patients. Cancer Lett. 2000 Aug 31; 157(1):57-63.
3. Fujii T, Nakamura AM, et al. Antineoplaston induces G(1) arrest by PKCalpha and MAPK pathway in SKBR-3 breast cancer cells. Oncol Rep. 2005 Aug; 14(2): 489-94.
4. Burzynski SR, et al. Antineoplastons in diary products. Journal of Applied Nutrition. 2004; 54(1).