The missing link, uncovered
It has long been suspected that chronic inflammation fuels cancer. Inflammation and cancer have something in common: They both stem from natural processes that have lost their compass. Cancer is when normal growth goes haywire, and chronic inflammation happens when the natural defense mechanism of inflammation has gone out of control.
Now, researchers have gotten into the trenches using biochemical techniques and found a molecular link between inflammation and cancer—a process that they had not been able to pin down before.
Some inflammation is necessary for the normal development of the immune system, according to other studies. The communication between inflammation and development occurs by way of a protein called p100. A classic example of the theory that a little goes a long way, but once the scale is tipped too far to one extreme—in this case, too much—that’s where the problem starts. When you have chronic inflammation, you have an overload of p100, which may over-stimulate development, and cancer is the result.
With this finding, researchers could have a new way of going about developing cancer therapies by focusing attention less on inflammation and more on development.
Which means the collective ears of the drug companies should be perking up, smelling an opportunity of which to take advantage after being thwarted by the Vioxx scandal and other prescription anti-inflammatories that can kill. The problem with drugs like Vioxx and Celebrex is that they act indiscriminately in many different areas, or tissues, of the body. So while they may reduce inflammation in your joints, they can also lead to clots in your arteries, which can cause a heart attack, or the weakening of the protective mucus of your stomach and intestines, increasing your risk of bleeding. It’s only a matter of time before the side effects kick in.
I talked about inflammation and the safe, natural ways to protect against it in the January 2007 newsletter. I feel it is still very important to address inflammation—which underlies a lot of diseases in the body.
