Cancer Information

This was an article written in 2012 printed in Positive Health online magazine. It is really a concept introduction for lay people and health professionals to understand the similarities between cancer and pregnancy mechanisms. All still useful ideas. Read the new piece on Macrophage Polarization and IDO Enzymes, Immunity, Cancer and Depression to get another viewpoint. The Pregnancy Cancer Connection by Cal Crilly (more info) Listed in cancer , originally published in issue 205 - April 2013 The pregnancy link with cancer goes back to John Beard in 1902 who wrote about The Action of Trypsin [1] coming from the foetal pancreas to act on switching off trophoblast function. Trophoblasts are cells that surround the embryo and then form the umbilical cord which grows and creates an entire new set of arteries between mother and child, using the placenta as an organ for transferring maternal-foetal gas, nutrients and waste products. The blood from the child and mother do...

Macrophage Polarization and IDO Enzymes, Immunity, Cancer and Depression Feb. 5th 2020 The subject of macrophage polarization has many practical applications in treating immune dysfunction in diseases like cancer, diabetes, chronic fatigue, AIDS, sepsis and any diseases with fibrosis occurring. Macrophages or our white blood cells respond to an enzyme called Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and change. IDO is a type of signal used by baby cells, wound cells or any new cells to tell the M1 macrophages to avoid any area of repair and not gobble it up. Hence cancer cells releasing IDO can avoid our own immune system and stay alive. To summarise a complex subject, our white blood cells (macrophages) have 2 types. M1 macrophages get in and dig out rubbish whether it is old collagen or infections from bacteria and fungus, cancer cells or fat cells. The other types are M2 macrophages, they seem to have 2 functions, one is to dig out large scale infections such as ...