The Genetic origins of the Cancers

Cancer

Many people think of cancer as a single disease, however, it actually results from more than 1,000 different disorders in normal cell and tissue function. All cancers have one feature in common: They all are diseases of uncontrolled cell division. For healthy people, the body regulates the production of new cells very precisely. But in cancer patients, gene mutation lead to breakdowns in the cell communication and growth control normal in healthy cells. Out of the normal control, cancer cells can become invasive and spread to other parts of the body. As a consequence, normal tissue and organ functions may be seriously disrupted.

Mutation in two main groups genes are closely related with cancers:

A: Proto-oncogenes, which encode for proteins important for normal cell behavior including proliferation, differentiation and survival. Proto-oncogenes will be converted to ongogenes by the change in gene structure, location, or function. At this stage, the proto-oncogenes become into the oncogenes.

Oncogens can be categorized to the following groups:

• Growth Factors: COLIA1-PDGFB, PDGF etc.
• Receptors: v-erb-b, EGF-receptor etc.
• Plasma membrane GTP-binding proteins: KRAS, Ras etc.
• Nonreceptor protein kinases: BRAF, Raf kinase etc.
• Transcription factors: MYC, v-jun, V-fos etc.
• Cell-cycle or cell-death regulators: CYCD1, CDK4 and BLC2

B: Tumor Suppressors: Tumor suppressor genes encode for proteins that regulate cell survival and slow or stop cell proliferation.  Cells with mutation in these genes, will ignore signals that direct them to apoptosis.

 Examples of tumor suppressor genes: APC, BRCA1, BRCA2, SMAD4, NF-1, NF-2, CDKN2A, p53, RB, HL and WF1.

Nutrition and cancer: the current epidemiological evidence

A good paper worth reading!

Reversing the process: different approaches for cancer prevention

New directions toward cancer prevention from science studies:

1. Cramping tumors: An old observation about cancer cells may lead to a new treatment
2. Breast cancer: reversing the process. “Although this research does not offer a cure for breast cancer, it does point to the possibility that the disease may be treated or perhaps even prevented through means other than conventional genetic therapy.”
3. Reversing Cancer Cells To Normal Cells. A Northwestern University scientist describes new research to provide unique insights into how scientists can change human metastatic melanoma cells back to normal-like skin cells
4. How vitamin C stops the big 'C'. A team of Johns Hopkins scientists have shown that in mice at least, vitamin C can indeed inhibit the growth of some tumors.
5. Substitute Protein in Energy Pathway Stalls Cancer Growth“We have yet to see the exception of a cancer cell that does not have the M2 version of pyruvate kinase. That’s telling—they all seem to have PKM2,”
6. Too Much Oxygen Not A Good Thing For Tumors.
7. Another Anti-cancer Effect Of The 'Longevity' Protein SIRT1 Identified. From this study,another anti-cancer effect of the "longevity" protein SIRT1 was identified.
8. Resveratrol inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis of human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells.
9. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reduce Risk Of Advanced Prostate Cancer
10. Omega-3 Kills Cancer Cells.
11. Colon Cancer Shuts Down Receptor That Could Shut It Down

Natural way to prevent cancers

· Cancer cells hunger on glucose: Avoid food with sugar and starch to starve cancer cells; fasting, low calorie diet
· Cancer cells like acid environment: Eat alkaline and green food with calcium
· HIF depends on free radicals: Take antioxidants as supplements
· HIF supplement by oxygen: Improve circulation system by taking rich Omega III food and supplement
· Support normal cells: Multivatamins, Vb, Vc
· Support mitochondria function: Resveratrol
· Apoptosis: Resveratrol
· Detoxification

The cause of cancers: findings from scientific studies

1. DNA damage from micronutrient deficiencies is likely to be a major cause of cancer. This study reveals that the deficiency of any of the micronutrients, rather than macronutrients may be the main cause of cancers.

2. Fundamental Process Of Tumor Growth Explained. As reported in ScienceDaily (Mar. 13, 2008), two papers appearing in the March 13 issue of the journal Nature help explaine the observation by Otto Warburg nearly 80 years ago that cancer cells perform energy metabolism in a way different from normal adult cells. The metabolic process known as the Warburg effect is essential for tumors' rapid growth; and they identify the M2 form of pyruvate kinase (PKM2), an enzyme involved in sugar metabolism, as an important mechanism behind this process.

3.The M2 splice isoform of pyruvate kinase is important for cancer metabolism and tumour growth. This study shows that a single switch in a splice isoform of the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase is necessary for the shift in cellular metabolism to aerobic glycolysis and that this promotes tumorigenesis. Tumour cells have been shown to express exclusively the embryonic M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase.

4. The Prime Cause and Prevention of Disease. It is found that the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen ... in normal body cells by fermentation of sugar.

5. New Protein That Triggers Breast Cancer Identified. As reported by ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2009), Canadian researchers have identified a new protein in the progression of breast cancer. The protein ARF1 plays a critical role in cancer cell growth and the spread of tumours.

Other side of cancer treatments

Let’s see what scientific studies tell us:

1. Chemo has long-term impact on brain function
The researchers from the University of California found that chemotherapy caused changes in the brain's metabolism and blood flow that can last as long as 10 years.

2. Approach to treat bone loss might increase bone cancer risk. As reported by ScienceDaily (Apr. 1, 2009) , the approach developed to treat osteoporosis involves blocking the action of proteins that inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway, which is associated with several cancers.

3. Drug might be more harmful than the disease it is meant to treat.

4. Does chemo for breast cancer cause more harm than good? Currently, chemotherapy is recommended for women with breast cancer that has spread to lymph nodes. However, the chemo does not help most of the patients treated. and many women could actually safely skip chemo.

5. Numerous CT scans over lifetime may increase cancer risk (ScienceDaily,Apr. 1, 2009)

And more.......

If a treatment does not highly selectively target the cancer, side effects are inevitable. If side effects cause more known or unkown problems, we may not use the treatments because some side effects may speed up cancer cell proliferation.

If we understand what cancer cells love and live on, can we try something to cut off the supply?