How much sleep is good for health?

Sabie S et al. Association of sleep duration at age 50, 60, and 70 years with risk of multimorbidity in the UK: 25-year follow-up of the Whitehall II cohort study. PLOS Medicine, October 2022.

Sleep is an essential function to help restore, rest and rejuvenate the body and mind. Yet, many people neglect a good night’s sleep. A recent study followed up 8000 people at the ages of 50, 60 and 70 over a 25-year period and found that short sleep duration is associated with a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with multiple chronic diseases, also called multimorbidity. Scientists examined the relationship between how long each participant slept daily, mortality, and whether they had been diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, arthritis, dementia or diabetes. Participants who have five hours of sleep or less at age 50 were 20% more likely to have been diagnosed with a chronic disease and 40% more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases compared to others who slept for up to seven hours. Moreover, sleeping for five hours or less at the age of 50, 60, and 70 was linked to a 30% to 40% increased risk of multimorbidity again when compared with those who slept for up to seven hours. Finally, sleeping for five hours or less at age 50 was associated with 25% increased risk of mortality suggesting that short sleep duration increases the risk of chronic diseases that can eventually lead to death. While sleep habits and structure change as people age, scientists recommend sleeping for 7 to 8 hours a night. Any sleep duration above or below these numbers have been associated with individual chronic diseases. This study adds to a growing body of research that highlights the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. In addition to how many hours you sleep, it is also important to make your room quiet and dark enough with a comfortable temperature. Keeping electronic devices away and avoiding heavy meals before you sleep also make a big difference for a healthy sleep.

Magnetic bacteria fight against cancer

Gwisai T et al. Magnetic torque–driven living microrobots for increased tumor infiltration. Science Robotics, October 2022.

One of the biggest challenges in the cancer therapeutics is to find efficient ways for anti-cancer drugs to reach the tumors they target. Researchers showed that they can now use bacteria to cross the blood vessel wall and infiltrate tumor tissue. In a recent study, researchers focused on the naturally magnetic bacteria Magnetospirillum, which can respond to magnetic fields and can be controlled by magnets. They first conjugated liposomes to the bacteria, tagged them with a fluorescent dye and demonstrated that the “cargo” was accumulated inside the cancerous tissue in cell culture. Then in animal models they showed that the magnetic bacteria were able to cross the vascular wall near the cancerous growth and migrate deep into the tumor’s interior when a rotating magnetic field applied at the tumor from outside the body. In principle, there are two major ways that bacteria can fight against cancer. First, they can carry anti-cancer drugs into the tumor. Second, they can damage and eliminate tumor cells in coordination with the immune system. It is now technically possible to modify bacteria using synthetic biology to optimize their therapeutic effect, reduce side effects and make them safer. This study opens up the possibility to use a magnetic field to control any clinically used therapeutic bacteria that have no natural magnetism as well. 

Secrets of Saturn’s rings

Wisdom J et al. Loss of a satellite could explain Saturn’s obliquity and young rings. Science, September 2022.

Scientists have long debated the origin and age of Saturn’s rings. Why are they much younger than the planet? Are they a permanent feature of Saturn? Or will they someday disappear? A new study provided fresh insights into the secrets of Saturn’s rings. The astronomers collected and analyzed data from 41 solar events, in which Saturn’s rings passed in front of the sun as seen from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft that orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017. In combination with extensive computer simulations, they came up with the following model. Saturn, which currently has 83 moons, had at least one more moon, nicknamed in this study as Chrysalis. Chrysalis was tugging at the Saturn in a way that allowed it to have gravitational interaction with Neptune. About 160 million years ago, Chrysalis got too close to Saturn and created powerful tides that ripped the moon to shreds. Much of its debris fell into Saturn, and the rest spread out over the following hundred thousand years to form the iconic rings. Moreover, the loss of Chrysalis was enough to remove Saturn from Neptune’s gravitation and left it with its present-day unusually large 27 degree-tilt on its axis. The current model can explain several otherwise puzzling properties of Saturn at once and is consistent with the measured age and mass of the rings. It is noteworthy that these studies do not solely serve the purpose to feed into our curiosity about mysterious objects in space. Ring systems around giant planets provide invaluable test beds for investigating fundamental physical properties and processes in our solar system. Understanding the formation and evolution of ring systems could also help us to understand how planets, including Earth, form.

“Black cumin is healing for all diseases except death.” Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

Studies on the positive effects of black cumin have a long history. Even a simple list of the titles of these studies would take many pages. The research in the fields of modern biochemistry, organic chemistry, cytology (cell biology), and physiology has come up with interesting results.

One of these studies demonstrated that black cumin decreases the release of proteins IL-6, TNF-α, and NO by inhibiting pro-inflammatory T helper-1 cells which act as soldiers for our immune system, and has an anti-inflammatory effect by stimulating the number of protective cells that are released by our bone marrows, known as natural killers [1]. Another study found that it helps to increase the number of macrophages and neutrophiles which identify and destroy foreign materials and which must be found in certain amounts in our blood at all times, by stimulating the functioning of bone marrows and, as such, they perform immunomodulatory functions. As regards the autoimmune diseases, in which the immune system targets the cells of one’s own body, black cumin acts differently and eliminates autoimmunity, thereby contributing to protection against, and prevention of, attacks [2].

The increase in allergic diseases in recent years has made physicians working in this field consider the potential effects of black cumin in treating these diseases. For the patients with food allergy, black cumin seeds were shown to result in a decrease in the number of mast cells that are found in intestines and considered as responsible for allergy symptoms, thereby reducing the disorders that emerge in connection with food allergy [3]. This applies to allergic asthma as well. During attack periods, it was determined that black cumin considerably alleviates the symptoms, results in improvements in pulmonary function tests and, as a prophylactic agent, leads to considerable decreases in the number of attacks [4].

Another study investigated the effects of black cumin in providing protection against, and decreasing, lung infections. This study found that it reduces lung inflammation, and prevents edema in pulmonary alveoli, which are instrumental in respiration, as well as fibrosis, which degrades lung tissues and results in decreased lung function. As it helps to increase the surfactants that reduce the tension between the gas inside the lungs and the liquid covering the interior of the lungs, thereby preventing pulmonary alveoli from shrinking and their interiors from clinging on to each other. Black cumin was found to be extremely precious for intensive care patients who have difficulty in breathing [5].

Nigella sativa has protective effects for the liver as well. As is known, the liver is like a laboratory which helps to clean our body and remove toxins. A number of dangerous wastes, such as foreign substances and toxins, are discharged from the body through the liver’s perfectly designed cleaning methods. Black cumin facilitates the way substances that are considered carcinogenic are excreted through the liver and functions as an antioxidant [6].

Additionally, black cumin has many benefits also for the most prevalent diseases of our time, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. A study found that black cumin has prophylactic effects against heart attacks [7] while another study demonstrated that insulin levels, carbohydrate metabolism, and fasting glucose levels return to normal after consuming black cumin seeds or oil [8].

The wonders of black cumin are no new discovery, and people have long known the benefits of this amazing substance. The juice and oil of black cumin was determined to be effective against bugs, viruses, and bacteria. Its seeds contain small amounts of B1, B2, and B6 vitamins, protein-building amino acids, trace elements of iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and selenium that have significant metabolic functions in organisms. A study reported that black cumin was equipped with properties that are effective in killing various cancer cells and stimulating the production of antibodies targeting specific tumors. It is also reported that black cumin is not toxic to normal cells. ß-sitosterol, found in black cumin seeds, is a molecule that is capable of boosting secretory activity and lowering blood cholesterol levels. This molecule was reported to prevent prostate growth, have diuretic effects, lower blood pressure, promote lactation, stimulate one’s appetite, induce menstruation, and have many other properties.

Its oil is known to be effective against dandruff and hair loss, and the volatile fatty acids it contains fight against bacteria, fungi and tapeworms.

Although there is no obvious method regarding the consumption of black cumin for protection or specific amount to be consumed, it is advised that its seeds should be ground in a wooden or porcelain mortar and mixed with honey or olive oil before being consumed on an empty stomach in the morning. People with good teeth may consume its seeds after chewing them thoroughly.

References

1. Pichette, A. et al. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antibacterial activities of extracts from nigella sativa (black cumin) plant parts. J Food Biochem, 2012; 36(5): 53.
2. Mohamed, A. et al. Amelioration of chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (cr-eae) using thymoquinone-biomed 2009. Biomed Sci Instrum, 2009; 45: 274–279.
3. Duncker, S.C. et al. Nigella sativa (Black Cumin) seed extract alleviates symptoms of allergic diarrhea in mice, involving opioid receptors. PLoS One, 2012; 7(6): e39841.
4. Boskabady, M.H. et al. The possible prophylactic effect of Nigella sativa seed extract in asthmatic patients. Fundam Clin Pharmacol, 2007; 21(5): 559–566.
5. Kanter, M. Effects of Nigella sativa seed extract on ameliorating lung tissue damage in rats after experimental pulmonary aspirations. Acta Histochem 2009; 111(5): 393–403.
6. Zafeer, M.F. et al. Cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity and its abrogation by thymoquinone. J Biochem Mol Toxicol, 2012; 26(5): 199–205.
7. Nemmar, A. et al. Contrasting actions of diesel exhaust particles on the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems and the effects of thymoquinone. Br J Pharmacol, 2011; 164(7): 1871–1882.
8. Salama, R.H. Hypoglycemic effect of lipoic acid, carnitine and Nigella sativa in diabetic rat model. Int J Health Sci, 2011; 5(2): 126–134.

In 1981, scientists discovered ways to derive embryonic stem cells from early mouse embryos. Since then, they have been the subject of intense scrutiny, controversy, and advocacy.

They are unique cells, which can be derived from human embryos and can be differentiated into virtually any kind of different cells. In humans, there are about 200 different types of cells including bone, muscle, and nerve cells, and within these cells there are about 20 different types of structures or organelles. Essentially, stem cells can be derived from human embryos, and with the right enzymes, can be stimulated. For instance, bone cells can originate from osteocyte cells, or liver tissues can come from hepatocytes.

Stem cell types and research

There are three types of stem cells:

• Embryonic stem cells
• Adult stem cells
• Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC)

Embryonic stem cells are derived from human embryos. Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells (meaning “clean slates” with the potential to change into another cell variant) found throughout the body after development; they multiply via cell division to replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissues. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC), which were discovered in 2006, are derived from skin or blood cells that have been reprogrammed back into an embryonic-like pluripotent state that enables the development of an unlimited source of any type of human cell needed for therapeutic purposes. While these types of cells are interesting and certainly worthy of research, this article will focus on embryonic stem cells as they are consistently the most well-known and discussed type by the general public.

Embryonic stem cells are potent and often sought after due to their abilities to proliferate without limit and contribute to any cell type. However, with great power comes great responsibility and stem cells are no exception. Poorly processed cells have been documented to mutate into cancerous tumors that can wreak havoc upon people’s bodies. Bearing this in mind, scientists also do not believe that this should derail stem cell therapies considering that there are DNA tests to check if stem cells will turn out to be problematic or not.

The stem cell project is regularly a subject of ethical debate in both the academic and public sectors. Most embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro—in an in vitro fertilization clinic—and then donated for research purposes with the informed consent of the donors. People willingly donate their eggs for this research, and this process does not constitute child-killing since the eggs are near their zygote phase, not a whole mature embryo. Scientists obtain those types of cells from an embryo which has not yet completed its formation to develop into a human being. Researchers then use these cells for various treatment and research purposes. It is important to stress that they are not derived from eggs fertilized in a woman’s body and that they are produced in a plastic laboratory culture via clinics in vitro.

Some examples of embryonic stem cells being used in research include the following:

1. UCLA stem cell gene therapy cures bubble baby disease

Researchers at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) have developed a cure for babies born with Bubble Baby Disease, a rare and life-threatening condition that can be fatal within the first year of life, by using stem cells from multiple patients and gene therapy to correct the genetic mutation of these patients.

2. Asterias biotherapeutics restores some independence to those suffering from paralysis caused by spinal cord injuries

Asterias Biotherapeutics spent much of 2016-2017 developing a stem cell therapy to restore upper body motor function to quadriplegic spinal cord injury victims. Through lengthy and rigorous testing in human clinical trials, the therapy was found to be safe for use in people with all patients treated reporting at least some improvements. Asterias is now expanding its clinical trials to include patients with sub-acute injuries.

3. UC Irvine scientists engineer stem cells to destroy cancer

In a study conducted by University of California, Irvine researchers, a stem cell-based technique was devised to find and destroy breast cancer cells that had already metastasized. The cells “feel” the stiffness of the surrounding tissues and destroy the cancer-causing cells.

Embryonic stem cells can remain undifferentiated when they are grown in a well taken care of culture that is under stable conditions. Problems primarily begin to arise if cells are allowed to clump together to form embryoid bodies in which they begin to differentiate, or change into more specific cell variants, spontaneously. Although spontaneous differentiation is a good indication that shows which cultures of embryonic stem cells are healthy, the process is uncontrolled and, therefore, an inefficient strategy to produce cultures of specific cell types.

The ability of stem cells being able to differentiate into hundreds of other types of cells continues to amaze scientists as this is no small discovery. Researchers believe that the possibilities with stem cells are near endless, especially in regard to “regenerative medicine,” the process of “replacing, engineering, or regenerating human cells, tissues, or organs to restore or establish a new function.” It is even believed that even whole organs could be synthetically grown by using them.” Additionally, stem cells have the potential to rebuild healthy tissues, help people with heart disease, diabetes, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, liver disease, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and many more illnesses.

In a stem cell transplant, embryonic stem cells are first specialized into the necessary adult cell type. Then, those mature cells replace tissue that is damaged by a disease or injury. This type of treatment could be used to:

• Replace neurons damaged by spinal cord injury, a stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or other neurological problems.
• Produce insulin that could treat people with diabetes and heart muscle cells that could repair damage after a heart attack
• Replace virtually any tissue or organ that is injured or diseased.

Sometimes scientists use stem cells as a drug. For example, it is possible to inject a stem cell into joints to reduce swelling and pain, or in order to promote the healing processes of soft tissues. Stem cell therapy is performed by injecting the patient’s own stem cells to stimulate the body to repair and replace damaged tissue in any joint or soft tissue structures – such as knees, shoulders, hips, wrists, ankles, elbows, tendons, ligaments and non-healing bone fractures. Cellular Dynamics, a large biotechnical company, sells human heart cells called cardiomyocytes that are derived from induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cells. Pharmaceutical companies are adapting to this new and innovative trend on a day-to-day basis. Stem cells can also be used to test the quality and safety of investigational drugs by testing them on stem cells that have been transformed into tissue-specific cells. Researchers are able to monitor the side effects before exposing the drug to a patient and thus have a greater expectancy of how their body may respond to the drug. This allows us to test for cures for potentially fatal diseases in ways that would otherwise be risky or unethical.

With all of the aforementioned advantages, stem cells are a fairly new, but exceptionally promising, research area. For some people, it may seem unethical to use stem cells on the grounds that extracting stem cells damages the blastocyst, which is a structure formed in the early development of mammals, more specifically the sixth or the eighth day of the development of an embryo. In 2006, President Bush vetoed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act stating that the federal government should not support “the taking of innocent human life.” Although stem cells are very promising for science and can open new doors to many new treatments in the medical field, it looks like there are still differences of opinion on their ethical use. This is perhaps because there is need for more convincing evidence or people are not informed accurately on the details of this research area.

References

• https://stemcells.nih.gov/info/Regenerative_Medicine/2006Chapter1.htm
• https://www.healthline.com/health/stem-cell-research
• https://www.statnews.com/2017/04/26/stem-cells-cancer-mutations/
• https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/stem-cells/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5398703/
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/documents/the-amazing-stem-cell/doc-20249792
• https://www.unmc.edu/stemcells/educational-resources/history.html
• https://www.cirm.ca.gov/patients/power-stem-cells
• https://www.nature.com/news/stem-cells-take-root-in-drug-development-1.10713
• https://hsci.harvard.edu/examining-ethics-embryonic-stem-cell-research#:~:text=Opponents%20argue%20that%20the%20research,taking%20of%20innocent%20human%20life.%E2%80%9D

“Free radicals” are a special type of atom that have been linked to many age-related diseases. They form as a result of a process called Oxidative Stress, which takes place when an oxygen molecule splits into single atoms with unpaired electrons. The nature of electrons is such that they like to be in pairs and as a result will “freely” and “radically” search throughout the body for another electron to pair with. They could almost be considered romantic if they were not so dangerous!

Their main danger comes from the damage that they cause to cells or cell membrane, proteins, and DNA. Cellular damage occurs when free radicals travel through cells and disrupt the structures of other molecules. The gradual accumulation of them, and the increased damage that builds as more and more of them collect, is what helps cause many of the aforementioned aging diseases. Our body is under constant assault from oxidative stress, and cells may function poorly or die if it occurs too frequently and without proper bodily maintenance.

Free radicals are a waste byproduct that form as a result of various chemical reactions that take place during our bodies’ normal metabolic processes. They are then “dumped,” and their eventual buildup will often harm our bodies much like how factory waste harms the environment However, they are not entirely useless; it is impossible for our bodies to turn air and food into chemical energy without a chain reaction of free radicals. Free radicals are also a critical part of the immune system, as they additionally move through our veins and can confront foreign invaders [1].

What are free radicals?

Understanding free radicals necessitates an elementary knowledge of chemistry.

Electrons orbit around atoms in levels called shells. Each shell is filled by a fixed number of electrons, and when the first shell is full then electrons will start to fill the next shell.

If there is an atom whose outer shell is not full then it may bond with another atom by using the electrons to fill its outer shell. These types of atoms are known as free radicals.

Atoms that have a full outer shell become stable, however free radicals are unstable. They are “desperate” to acquire the full number of electrons that are necessary to fill all of their shells and will therefore react quickly with other substances.

Take the example of oxygen molecules. If they split into single atoms that have unpaired electrons then they too will become unstable free radicals that seek other atoms or molecules to bond to. If this procedure continually occurs, then it will begin a process called oxidative stress.

Smoking, UV rays, air pollution, fast food, pesticides, ionizing radiation, drugs, and inflammation have all been linked to the formation of free radicals. We must be diligent when it comes to understanding how these influences can affect our bodily health, and then fight back with natural antioxidants.

Free radicals are heavily linked to aging

One of the effects of oxidative stress is that it can damage our body’s cells and thus promote many of the diseases and symptoms related to aging, such as wrinkles and gray hair. They will take electrons from other atoms in order to become more stable, a process that may cause diseases or signs of aging [2].              

In 1956, the “Free Radical Theory of Aging” was outlined as a way to understand how exactly our bodies age over time. Everybody ages, and as we age our body loses its ability to fight the effects of free radicals. Over time our bodies produce more free radicals and more oxidative stress, which increases the rate at which cells are damaged and thus can bring about degenerative processes.

Many age-related diseases such as muscular degeneration, certain cancers, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, emphysema, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ulcers and all inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and lupus, and many others are linked to free radicals. Free radicals can be found in the food we eat such as fried foods, the medicines we take, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. Free radicals are also found in alcohol, tobacco smoke, pesticides, and air pollutants.

Several studies and theories have been linked to oxidative stress and the buildup of free radicals including: [3]

• Genetic degenerative diseases, such as Huntington’s disease or Parkinson’s
• Age-related changes in appearance, such as loss of skin elasticity, wrinkles, graying hair, hair loss, and changes in hair texture
• Cataracts and age-related vision decline
• Diabetes
• Cancer, which is associated with chromosomal effects and oncogene activation due to the reaction of free radicals [2]
• Central nervous system diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and various forms of dementia
• Cardiovascular diseases due to clogged arteries
• Autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and cancer

The free radical theory of aging is comparatively new; however, several studies boost its credibility. Researchers focused on cell’s mitochondria, the “powerhouse” that process nutrients to power the entire cell. Experiments on rats, for example, showed a noteworthy increase in free radicals as the rats aged. These alterations coincided with age-related declines in their health. These experiments also showed that free radicals produced in the mitochondria harm the substances that the cells need in order to work properly. This damage causes mutations that produce more free radicals, thus accelerating the process of damage to the cell. This helps explain aging since aging quickens over time. The gradual, but increasingly rapid buildup of free radicals, offers one explanation for why even healthy bodies age and depreciate over time [2].

Antioxidants can stave off free radicals

Antioxidants, molecules that prevent other molecules from oxidizing and thus undergoing oxidative stress, can help to avert the harmful effects of free radicals. They can also decrease or even nullify the effects of free radicals, as they can provide an electron to free radicals and thereby reduce their reactivity. The uniqueness of antioxidants is that they can donate an electron without becoming reactive free radicals themselves.

There is no single antioxidant that can combat the effects of every free radical. Free radicals have different effects in different areas of the body, and every antioxidant performs differently due to its chemical properties. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, glutathione, and plant estrogens called phytoestrogens all scavenge the body and help remove free radicals. Honey can also function similar to antioxidants by removing free radicals. Additionally, selenium, a trace metal that is required for proper function of one of the body’s antioxidant enzyme systems, is sometimes included in this category. The body cannot manufacture these micronutrients so they must be supplied in the diet.

Foods that are rich in antioxidants include citrus fruits such as oranges and limes, berries, and many other fruits that are rich in vitamin C. Carrots are known for their high beta-carotene content, while the soy in soybeans, and some meat substitutes, are high in phytoestrogens. Apricots, spinach, mangoes, pumpkins, broccoli, and eggplants are all also helpful, along with a plethora of other fruits and vegetables [4].

More research needed

A 2010 study on antioxidant supplementation for the prevention of prostate cancer found no benefits. Furthermore, a 2012 study found that antioxidants did not lower the risk of lung cancer. On the other hand, the study found that people who were already at a heightened risk of cancer, such as smokers, actually had a slightly elevated risk of cancer due to antioxidants.

Some investigators have found that supplementation with antioxidants is injurious when people take more than the recommended daily allowance (RDA). A recent analysis found that high doses of beta-carotene, or vitamin E, appreciably increased the risk of dying. One study found that long-term use of beta-carotene could reasonably reduce the risk of age-related mental problems [4]. But perhaps one of the most important discoveries is that antioxidants are unable to “cure” the effects of free radicals completely [5].  

Additionally, we do not yet fully understand why free radicals form in the first place. They may result as an early sign of cells fighting diseases, or that free radical formation is simply a natural expectation that comes with aging. It is not possible to understand them completely without more conclusive research, which should be encouraged considering the significant impacts that free radicals can have upon our bodies.

References

1. https://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/antiox.html
2. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318652#How-do-free-radicals-damage-the-body
3. http://www.mytruehealth.info/mytruehealth_antioxidants_freeradicals.html
4. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318652#Antioxidants-and-free-radicals
5. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318652#What-we-do-not-know

Cancer is a prevalent disease among humans and animals, affecting millions of lives across the globe. It can be caused in a variety of ways and can affect virtually every part of our bodies, ranging from skin cancer caused by prolonged exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays to lung cancer that results from carcinogenic substances smokers inhale. However, plants do not die of cancer despite sometimes being exposed to the sun for over a thousand years – and they do not use any sunscreens!

Humans and animals who live to a certain age are very likely to get cancer one day. We see this situation mostly in our pets which have been specially bred and protected from predators and diseases. Cancer has become part of our lives and remains a top world health priority. The probability of prostate cancer is roughly 80% in 80-year-olds, 90% in 90-year-olds, and 100% in 100-year-olds. However, these statistics yet again do not apply to trees.

What is cancer?

Cancer is a disease caused by the uncontrolled growth of cells that have become abnormal in a part of the body. These abnormal cells are not foreign invaders that have entered our bodies from outside but are instead our own cells. However, in time, various factors such as radiation, viruses, and chemical substances that they are exposed to cause the accumulation of errors, or mutations, in the genetic codes of cells. Some of them then acquire very different characteristics and become alien to their own body.

With old age, errors arise in the genetic code in an increased rate when our cells divide by copying their own DNA. External factors, such as “free radicals” and various radiations that affect our DNA, play a role in these errors. For young people, when there are too many errors in a cell’s genome, a process called “apoptosis” takes place after which faulty cells die before they can multiply in a potentially cancerous manner and forming a tumor. However, sometimes these accumulated errors cause the cell’s growth process to become stuck in the “on” position, and the cell begins to grow and divide continuously. Cells that emerge with out-of-control divisions ignore the commands coming from the healthy cells of the body, continue to grow and reproduce according to the erroneous commands from the cell’s disrupted genome. This situation lasts until death.

What is a tumor?

Cell growths that result from defective genome proliferation will eventually form a mass called a tumor. Some cells grow very slowly and stop at a certain size after a while and do not spread anymore and are called benign tumors. Masses formed by fast-growing, defective (cancerous) cells are known as malignant tumors. Cells that detach from malignant tumors and grow rapidly can attach to another organ where they will begin to grow again when they enter the bloodstream. The process by which cancerous cells start from a tumor and spread all over the body to different organs is known as metastasis.

Why does this process not happen in plants?

One of the most destructive features of cancer when it enters metastasis is the mobility of malignant cells to varying degrees according to their type. Blood vessels, i.e. the transportation pathways of the circulatory system, act like a highway for cancer cells. As the blood vessels surround the entire body, a single cancerous cell can travel to and settle almost anywhere in the body, from the toes to the head.

Plant cells have a vital feature that is different from human and animal cells. In plants, cells do not change their locations because their cells are surrounded by a very rigid, strong, and impenetrable wall outside of normal plasma membranes. Cell walls are made of cellulose, which constitutes the main substance of plants, and form the wooden structures that ensure the plants stand upright and harden while at the same time locking each cell in place and preventing it from migrating within the organism.

Another important difference that is unique to plants is that they do not have blood circulation in which cells are carried; they have a circulatory system in which only water and food are carried. This system is often used to pump water from the roots to the leaves and to transport organic products such as sugar, which is a product of photosynthesis, from the leaves down. Therefore, there are no blood cells or immune system cells in these carrier channels, which are known as wood and roe tubes (xylem and phloem), in plants.

In addition, animal cells are specifically employed in tissues and organs such as muscle, bone, liver, and skin during embryonic development. Thus, when they divide only new cells of the same type are created. Tumors that occur in animal tissues can metastasize into different tissues and disrupt different organs. We can think of animal and human biology as a very complex system in which each cell, tissue, and organ has a task and purpose. In such a system, all elements work in cooperation for the continuation of life. This system is of a kind of irreducible complexity. A human being cannot live without organs like brain, heart, or lungs, while plants, on the other hand, have fewer simpler internal structures which are not as vital. When plant cells divide, they retain their ability to form new cells of any type. This is called totipotency.

In plants, every necessary structure can be recreated from the few tissues they have. For this reason, a gardener can grow new plants from the roots, branches, or leaf parts of a plant.

Plants are equipped with very powerful antioxidants to protect them from the sun’s harmful rays and mutations that may be caused by radiation. Therefore, tumors can develop only due to bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and insects. For example, in a situation that we can call “information confusion” that occurs when Agrobacterium Tumefaciens bacteria insert some of its DNA into the plant’s DNA, an anomaly occurs in the plant’s genome. Cells that go through a rapid growth process and form tumors are not normally classified as cancer, since they simply remain in that area and cannot be transported elsewhere. Since the tumors cannot spread to the whole plant, they may cause only minor distress at most in a specific area rather than a fatal disease such as cancer. Just as the plant continues to grow around a rock that it encounters, it grows around the tumor as well. The tumor can continue to grow for years, but does not spread to the rest of the plant, meaning there is no metastasis.

In summary, plants can also be cancerous, but a cancerous tumor is not a deadly threat to a plant, as its cells are immobile and do not have vital and complex organs like humans and animals. Thanks to the cellulose walls gifted to the them, plants continue their role in the ecosystem by continuing to grow with healthy cells around the tumor as if nothing had happened.

References

• Luis Villazon. “Can a plant die of cancer?” www.sciencefocus.com/nature/can-a-plant-die-of-cancer
• Sam Westreich. “Do Plants Get Cancer?” medium.com/@westwise/do-plants-get-cancer-60eb435c6d1a
• Stuart Thompson. “Plants couldn’t run away from Chernobyl—but that’s what saved them. Why plants don’t get cancer.” www.popsci.com/chernobyl-plants-radiation-cancer

The worst thing about cancer they don’t tell you?

The aftermath. The shock waves.

It’s surviving the quick earthquake, only to find yourself dodging falling objects and electrical lines for the next few days.

What they failed to mention was that fighting cancer was the easy part.

The real battle was learning to live again.

I got the news of my cancer diagnosis as a young mother, and after we had moved to a new city with no close friends or family. The kids were 3, 6, 11, and 13. Summer break had just begun, and to make things worse, I could not drive. We were in the wilderness and were fighting for our lives.

We went into “survival mode,” literally and figuratively, and assigned each older child to a smaller child with the plan and knowledge that we could survive if each of the “bigs” both did a load of laundry and dishes a day. At one point, I had a goal to drop off the kids at school, so I could get three uninterrupted hours of sleep after my chemo treatment. I had finally dropped off the children at their three different schools, and my head had barely hit the pillow, when I received a phone call from the school.

“Mrs. Estes? You need to come pick up your children. They all have lice!”

Trials, temptations, disease, and now pestilence were hitting our household simultaneously. I remember thinking, “At least I can’t get it since my hair is gone,” and then laughed at the absurdity that we were so low that my “silver lining statement” included the phrase “Praise the Lord I’m bald.”

But that was not the hardest part. Not by a long shot.

The hardest part was after the storm, when the casseroles stopped coming and prayers had grown weary. The hardest part of fighting a deadly battle comes afterwards when the dust has settled and the gunsmoke has cleared and you find yourself standing in total rubble and destruction.

I shouldn’t say total. We had our health and were still married. Most do not escape with that, I learned. But we both were battered and bloodied. I had a visual representation come to mind of an old battleship slowly pulling into port – disfigured and worn, riddled with bullet holes and laden with shrapnel. We were afloat, but barely.

I awoke from my six-month drunken chemo state to find my life in ruins. While the “bigs” had done a wonderful job helping with the “littles,” there were still unmet needs and unspoken questions that the youngest mind’s lips couldn’t form, which resulted in one regressing into wetting his pants again in first grade and the other becoming a hair’s breath away from becoming non-verbal, screaming “Aaaaaa!” fifty times a day. All of this in addition to the “regular” stresses of having four children about to enter high school, middle school, kindergarten and first grade – and not to mention the emotional withdrawal that naturally comes in a marriage during crisis times and having a son with extreme learning disabilities.

At one point, I was finally able to lift my leg again, and I was able to climb the stairs to our second story – after a year. When I entered the playroom, the scene rivaled the ruins of a never-ending frat party, with beer bottles exchanged for sippy cups and ankle-deep trash covering the floor. It was a sign of what the kids had silently felt during our ordeal, and it served as a visual symbol of my life: ruined and messy.

In World War II, my grandfather was part of the company that liberated prisoner of war camps. At one point, he asked one of the prisoners what the difference was between those that made it out and those that did not.

“The ones that made it found something to look forward to – they had a goal,” he replied.

I took that advice and decided that when all the chemo and radiation was over, I would celebrate with the other cancer fighters I’d met while walking through the fire.

None of them made it. It was heartbreaking.

I “made do” by celebrating with all the friends and family who had prayed and supported us through the journey, but the weight was still felt. In addition to feeling thankful, I also shouldered the burden of false guilt from having survived when my other comrades had fought just as hard, sometimes harder. Soldier syndrome had come home to roost.

So, what do you do when you get through the war only to (symbolically) return to your home to find the farm overrun with thorns and that your wife has run off?

You start from scratch. And you begin with baby steps.

God was gracious, providing me with advice from an “older brother” in the church just when I needed it. He himself had come out of a near death, eight-day coma experience. He emerged paralyzed on one side, but no one would ever guess it today. The first thing he advised when I called him in tears was, “small goals, baby steps, little sister!”

When coming through tragedy, we want our life to be like it was “before,” but the “after” contains components the “before” never had. It is an “apples to oranges” comparison and is unfair to expect them to be the same. Life “after cancer” contains side effects such as “less energy” and “Chemo Brain” that affect what and how much can be done for a while. Just as I couldn’t expect to instantly run three miles again, nor should I have expected to jump instantly back into life, either. The girl who used to pay all the bills, pop dinner into the oven, and get all four kids ready for school before breakfast was now merely able to pay the bills by the end of the day. But that was okay, because that was enough.

Second piece of advice: good enough is good enough. Lower your expectations. Gone were the days of thinking “everything has a place, and everything should be in its place.” Life was still, even now, about survival. Gone were the days of a pristine home ready for entertainment at a moment’s notice; the day of “push aside the mess and have a seat” had come. And that is okay. Because, again, you are now living in a different reality. The good news? There is no fairy that is going to come grade you on how tidy or organized your home is. Your home is there to serve you, not the other way around. Feel free to live as such.

In addition, it is imperative to “accept the new reality” and “don’t look back.” At one point in the recovery process, I placed blinder goggles and a bottle of salt beside my bed to remind myself, “Don’t look back, lest you turn to a pillar of salt!” (like Lot’s wife). I was amazed at how many Bible verses there actually were with the theme of “pressing on” and “not looking back.” The message was clear: the past is the past, and the present is the present. Make sure to live in the right one. Thinking back to how things used to be and trying to make your world look now like it did back then is a guaranteed, instant trip to Insanity Land. Accept that now will not look like then, nor is it supposed to. Celebrate every “new” baby step and make recovery a big ol’ party!

One of the hardest pieces of advice to follow is: try to humble yourself. As a natural giver, this concept was the most difficult for me until a friend helped me realize that life is not all about me, and if I do not ask for help, then I am literally robbing givers of the chance to use their spiritual gift to give. Ecclesiastes makes it clear that life is divided into seasons, and this is perhaps your season to be a receiver. Accept it as you would a blessing for it will bless others as they minister to you.

A final word of advice on the journey of learning to live again: have a creative outlet and take time to feed your soul. Anything from songwriting, to painting, to simply coloring will help balm your weary mind as you learn to do things anew again. For me, I finally completed my novel, began songwriting, and never missed a sunset at our local park for three months straight. Learning to live again is like learning to walk again – hard and tiring. You must make the time to restore and renew your mind, spirit, and soul.

Of course, this all goes with the understanding that we are constantly praying and praising God for every single blessing He brings our way. It can be big things, like climbing stairs again – or small things, like hearing the song of a robin or seeing a butterfly. Whatever the size of the blessing that comes your way that day, praise God for it! And remember: like the butterfly in the cocoon, this season, too, is temporary and will pass.

We begin with a piece about spiritual revival and what it means for a person to devote their life “so others may live.” Compassion serves as the foundation for this cause from which a love of humanity can spring forth from. The heart becomes hard in the absence of compassion and is often much less concerned with the sufferings of others.

Tushar Gandhi, Mohandas Gandhi’s great-grandson, honors his great-grandfather on his 150th birth anniversary in a thoughtful piece about his leadership style and continued emphasis on nonviolence. Mohandas Gandhi always encouraged compassion, tolerance, and love among his followers and their approach towards the oppressive British Raj. It could be argued that Gandhi’s approach could have been significantly different had he centered his movement around violence, anger, and ignorance instead of the Satyagraha movement of nonviolence and compassion.

Research by the late Japanese scientist Dr. Masaru Emoto has shown that positive or negative speech, emotions, thoughts, and energy can change the very molecular structure of Earth’s most important liquid: water. It was shown that compassionate speech caused water to form beautiful crystal, whereas hateful speech formed black, broken, and chaotic messes. The implications of this research are phenomenal considering water is the very essence of all life on our planet.

A call to action from Maisie Bennett draws attention to the fires that are still raging in the Amazon Rainforest, destroying the very lungs of our Earth that are integral for sustaining our shared ecosystem. Apathy and greed have taken hold and have seduced people into destroying our planet’s pristine natural beauty in order to claim more land for our own. We, as an international community, must bring forth our compassion and address this critical environmental crisis once and for all.

April Estes, a heroic mother and cancer survivor, shares her story in her piece “Praise the Lord, I’m Bald.” What she has been through is a reminder that challenges that come with cancer are not only about fighting it; “the real battle” is “learning to live again.” Raising awareness in this respect is important, for healing from cancer is not only a biological cure, but one that also needs psychological, social, and economic support in its aftermath.

There are many ongoing studies into fasting, a practice prescribed across many religions. Increasingly, there is evidence to support that intermittent fasting is beneficial to human health.

The opposite of fasting – overeating – has been revealed to be a major culprit in many illnesses, including cancer, obesity, and heart disease. For many years, the medical consensus was that fasting, i.e. prolonged hunger, too, could have deleterious effects on the human body. From kidney failure to loss of muscle, fasting was believed to be harmful – thus calling into question the benefits of this widespread religious commandment.

People of faith – including Muslims – have long believed that God wouldn’t recommend a practice that was harmful to the body. The hardships and troubles that accompany a religious practice are not too extreme for people aware of their servitude to God: they regard their trials as a testament of their faith. Part of that faith is the certainty that God wouldn’t recommend a harmful or unbearable practice.

In this article, we will share with you two unknown benefits of fasting that have been recently discovered.

Regenerating stem cells

There is a substantial body of evidence showing that staying hungry during certain periods of the day heals the body’s metabolism, hastens loss of fat, decreases oxidative stress,* and improves the functions of the tissues that make up various organs including the liver, the intestines, and the brain. The first of the two new discoveries about the underlying processes, however, provides a missing piece of the puzzle by helping us understand the incredible changes hunger triggers in stem cells.

Researchers at MIT, Duke University School of Medicine, and Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge published an article recently on stem cells, indicating that part of stem cell’s mystery could lie in the oxidation (burning) of fat in the mitochondria [1]. Omer H. Yilmaz and his fellow researchers found that a 24-hour fast hastens fat breakdown in intestinal stem and special progenitor cells of rats.

To run the study, Yilmaz and colleagues let the mice go hungry for 24 hours to study the state of their stem cells. They found that the functions of intestinal stem cells increased, and fat metabolism quickened, in both young and aged mice, even during early periods of hunger. They saw that the body’s tapping into fat for its energy needs maintained the health and strength of the intestinal stem cells. Moreover, they noticed that if the aged mice did not fast, they started to lose their ability to break down and use fats for energy expenditure.

The researchers obtained more interesting results as the studies progressed. It was found that a single period of hunger for 24 hours boosted renewal of intestinal cells – and the stem cell functions increased even more significantly in aged mice. Another interesting finding was that mice with damaged intestines that were fasted recovered faster than those that were fed.

“My lab is really interested in understanding how diet, in general, can be used to improve tissue function,” Yilmaz said. “One of the tissue types I study is the intestine. In my lab we study the intestine because it’s one of the largest organs in the body. It’s also a tissue that experiences rapid cellular turnover.” [2]

The intestine is lined by a single layer of cells, Yilmaz explains, that turns over every 5 to 7 days. The workhorses of the intestinal lining and this cellular turnover are intestinal stem cells. These cells must retain a high level of function or cellular health in order to replenish the intestinal epithelium on a regular basis. Intestinal stem cells are particularly important in terms of repairing intestinal damage caused by gut infections and chemotherapy, for example.

The single layer of epithelial cells needs to be renewed every 5-7 days: the aids and enzymes secreted in the intestine for digestive and absorptive activities damage cells despite the protective mucus layer, and some other cells already burst and die as they empty their secretions. Moreover, some medications, particularly chemotherapy, cause the destruction and breakdown of the epithelial cell layer. However, fast-multiplying stem cells replenish the epithelial cells. Stem cells are very active and young and have the ability to divide and multiply continuously.

Dr. Yilmaz also says:

“As we age, stem cells in the intestine as well as in many other tissues of the body, including in the blood and nervous systems, become less functional. We believe that reduced adult stem cell function contributes to some of the decline of function associated with old age. My lab is very interested in studying low-calorie interventions to delay this decline. As a field, we’ve known for over 100 years that low-calorie states such as fasting or caloric restriction can have positive effects on tissue health and aging. We’ve seen evidence that fasting during times of intestinal infections that lead to diarrhea may promote healing of the intestinal lining, for example.” [2]

This quote emphasizes the importance of the issue. Yilmaz adds that despite all this knowledge, the cellular mechanisms of this renewal have not been discovered, and he and his team are working to find out how fasting and hunger enable this recovery.

Stem cells become happy in fat!

The researchers discovered through the experiments that the stem cell function could be brought about in hungry mice by the burning (oxidation) of fatty acids in intestinal cells. When they stopped the fat metabolism through genetic engineering, they noticed that the benefits of fasting on intestinal stem cells were negligent.

In the present dietary conditions, we obtain nearly 60-70% of our energy from carbohydrates or sugar, 20% from fats and 10% from amino acids. Yet an interesting finding revealed by Dr. Yılmaz and his research team is that we essentially obtain much greater energy from using fats once we fast. According to their experiments on mice, during fasting, the intestinal stem cells in both young and aged mice switch from carbohydrates to fats as the primary source of energy, and this shift enables improvement in stem cell functions.

It is not yet known what underlies the fat metabolism that boosts stem cell functions in response to fasting, but it is observed that stem cells work better when they burn fat. The ability to metabolize fats efficiently decreases with age.

It is likely that this hastened metabolism – encouraged by certain diets, like the keto diet, where the amount of fat ingested is raised to 70% and carbohydrate intake is limited to 5% – helps with epileptic seizures and similar neurological disorders: the ketone bodies generated during metabolism of fats are used as energy sources by the brain.

According to Dr. Yilmaz, if fasting can improve the functions of intestinal stem cells through metabolism of fats, the key is the mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell responsible for this function. Fat metabolism, or the immediate breaking down or “burning” of the fat entering the cell, is carried out in the mitochondria. Disrupted energy generation associated with aging and decreasing mitochondria can be a reason for the brain’s susceptibility to age-related illnesses. Positive developments in brain functions can therefore be viewed in connection with the correlation between fasting and the oxidation of fatty acids.

Cleaning by fasting

Just like the spring cleaning in our homes, our cells need a thorough cleaning to function properly. Wrongly folded protein particles, remains of damaged organelles, broken molecular pieces, and aged cells that can no longer divide should be disposed out of our cellular structure. Fasting perfectly performs the task of cleaning these wastes and clearing the area in the cell.

“Everything has zakat (a means of cleaning), and the zakat of the body is fasting.” (Ibn-i Majah, Siyam: 44)
“Fasting is a protective shield.” (Bukhari, Sawm: 2)

What is autophagy?

Autophagy is the compound of two ancient Greek words: auto (self) and phagos (eating). What is meant by “self-eating,” is the breaking down and recycling of protein waste and old, impaired molecules by intracellular digestive organelles called lysosomes. In this way, proteins or cellular organelles are digested and taken out of circulation. We can liken autophagy to garbage collection.

Japanese researcher Yoshinori Ohsumi’s study, which brought him the 2016 Nobel Prize for Medicine, found that the autophagy that occurs inside the cell due to fasting or starvation plays an important role in preventing ageing, infections, and tumors. If autophagy breaks down, many illnesses may be triggered, including cancer. Conversely, if autophagy activity is regular, tumors may be suppressed – depending on the stage of development and type of tumor. Cancer research has long focused on channeling these autophagic activities. Restriction of food intake through fasting shows promise: it may protect normal cells while triggering autophagy and thus increasing the effect of cancer treatments. Autophagy might offer solutions or treatment options for other illnesses, too, including inflammatory diseases [3], neurodegeneration [4], metabolic and cardiovascular diseases [5], obesity [6], and metabolic disorders.

Preclinical studies have shown that dietary restrictions by fasting contribute to the increase of a person’s lifespan and slow the development of age-related diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases [7].

* Oxidative stress: The damage caused as a result of excessive proliferation of free oxygen radicals released from foods that spike blood sugar (with high glycemic index) as metabolic waste. A good example of oxidative stress is the browning of certain foodstuff such as apples, bananas, etc. sometime after they are peeled.

References

1. Yilmaz, Omer H. et al. 2018. “Fasting Activates Fatty Acid Oxidation to Enhance Intestinal Stem Cell Function during Homeostasis and Aging.” Cell Stem Cell, Vol. 22, Issue 5, May 3, pp. 769–778.
2. Paige Brown Jarreau. 2018. “Eating (Or rather, Fasting) Our Way to Rejuvenated Stem Cells?” in Life and Tech @ LifeOmic. June 7. A Medium Corporation.
3. Cadwell K. 2016. “Crosstalk between autophagy and inflammatory signaling pathways: balancing defence and homeostasis.” Nat Rev Immunol.16 (11): 661–75.
4. Menzies FM, Fleming A, Caricasole A, Bento CF, Andrews SP, Ashkenazi A et al. 2017. “Autophagy and Neurodegeneration: Pathogenic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities.” Neuron. 93 (5):1015–34.
5. Bravo-San Pedro JM, Kroemer G, Galluzzi L. 2017. “Autophagy and Mitophagy in Cardiovascular Disease.” Circ Res. 120((11)):1812–24.
6. Lavallard VJ, Meijer AJ, Codogno P, Gual P. 2012: “Autophagy, signaling and obesity.” Pharmacol Res. 66 (6):513–25.
7. O’Flanagan CH, Smith LA, McDonell SB, Hursting SD. 2017. “When less may be more: calorie restriction and response to cancer therapy.” BMC Med. 15(1):106.

It is estimated that there are approximately 100 trillion cells in the human body. They fulfill their duties harmoniously with all the systems, organs, and tissues manifesting innumerable signs of wonder and wisdom. If a disruption occurs to the working of cells or the coordination among cells, the process leading to cancer starts to develop in the body’s tissue.

The recent increase in cancer occurrences has led researchers to look into its development. The phrase “cellular anarchy” is sometimes used to refer to cancer’s development. Indeed, when we examine the mechanism of cancer development, we see that cells engage in irregular – anarchic – activities in addition to regular ones.

Abnormalities emerge in cancerous cells during cell division and differentiation (when they transform into specialized cells according to different tissues). Cancer cells divide uncontrollably. Under normal circumstances, numerous genes are active in cell division. In cancerous cells, however, failures occur in the mechanisms that control division. Moreover, due to differentiation flaws in cancerous cells, undifferentiated cells, which fail to acquire features that enable them to function in a tissue or organ, form groups of cells that constrain and damage other cells because of the space they occupy.

Checkpoints in cell division and tumor suppressing genes

How is cell division controlled in a normal cell?

Our cells go through numerous stages as they divide. The beginning of each stage is called a “checkpoint” because it is where errors in cell divisions are checked. At each checkpoint (called G1, S and G2) are proteins with certain duties. One of these proteins, P53, suppresses development of cancer. In other words, P53’s job is to prevent failures during cell division, hence blocking the path to cancer’s development in the cell. Whether there is a flaw in the DNA it is checked over and over again at each checkpoint. If no error is identified, the next stage proceeds. In this way, it is ensured that there is not any genetic error in the cells formed as a result of division. If there is an error, cell division is stopped. First an attempt is made to correct this genetic error. If it can be corrected, cell division is resumed. If the error is too big to be corrected, then the cell is scheduled to die; this is called apoptosis. It is worth remembering at this point that proteins that are too minute to be observed even by microscopes are tasked to perform these stupendous mechanisms. It is remarkable that they were designed to work so effectively.

Because these systems are disrupted during the development of cancer, genetically flawed cells form and multiply. Proteins produced with the genetic codes of the flawed cells are also flawed, and these flawed proteins cause a failure of the mechanisms that constrain cell division. Unconstrained cells have an abnormal capacity for division and they divide continuously, which is why cancerous cells have a greater ability to divide than normal cells.

Proto-oncogenes and oncogenes

It is essential that the parts of our body that grow, develop, or get damaged be repaired. In such cases, our cells synthesize certain “signal” molecules which are responsible for carrying to the nucleus the information that our cells should divide. As a result of the incoming information, some DNA regions called proto-oncogenes are stimulated and cell division gets underway. Proto-oncogenes are genes responsible for checking the start of cell division. When the human body encounters various cancer-making elements, damages occur in proto-oncogenes, which transform into oncogenes, or genes with the potential to cause cancer. Oncogenes lead a cell to develop cancer because cell division does not stop where it should and continues endlessly in the absence of healthy proto-oncogenes. Underlying abnormal tissue growth and spread to other organs is the fact that the control over cell division is lost.

Genetic treatment of cancer

It became apparent that age-old treatment methods proved wrong once it was discovered that the biological foundations of cancer stemmed from genetic disruptions. Despite its increase in the last century, cancer has in fact been seen throughout the history of mankind; even ancient Egyptian papyri talked about it. Because there was not a definite treatment for cancer, radical treatments were used, such as burning or cauterizing the tumor. In the first half of the twentieth century, only surgical methods were implemented in cancer treatments. Desired results could not be obtained by surgical procedures, which ended up with the excision of entire organs.

Research studies were launched in the second half of the twentieth century into whether it was possible to treat cancer using drugs. These studies revealed that cancer stemmed from genetic flaws (like the ones in oncogenes and tumor suppressing genes), which led to questions about types of treatment. Treatments of flaws at the genetic level are based on genes themselves. These treatments use such methods as stopping genes that work abnormally, eliminating the products of these genes, and killing cancer cells by making use of their genetic mechanisms.

New incidents of cancer are likely to continue to develop, for people are exposed to factors that cause disruptions of the makeup of genes. To prevent cancer, it is critically important that one should have a conscious, natural, and balanced lifestyle. People should be well-informed about the effects of smoking, genetically modified food, radiation, stress, and chemicals, so that they can lessen exposure to such risk factors. Moreover, more frequent implementation of screening tests will make early diagnosis easier. More effective methods with fewer adverse effects should also be developed for higher success rates in cancer treatment. Genetic treatment of cancer is a relatively new field but an increasing number of studies focus on it. These studies aim to kill only cancerous cells and spare healthy ones. It can be expected that research into this field will produce promising outcomes in coming years.

We are all aware of the fact that there is certain rhythm and order in the movement of the sun and the earth, as well as other planets along their pre-assigned orbits. This order has ongoing without a glitch for possibly billions of years. The day and the night become longer and shorter on a schedule, and this is how we can develop calendars by calculating seasons, months, and days.

The movements of celestial bodies impact in multiple ways the biosphere in which we live. Trees shed leaves or bloom, some animals hibernate, and others enter reproduction season.

Time advances not linearly but in cycles. The internal systems by which the metabolisms of living things are organized are made to work according to numerous biological clocks that depend on the cyclical nature of time. These biological clocks are sometimes based on the length of a day and sometimes on long cyclical patterns that may span years. Periods of sunspots followed by explosions on the surface of the sun, for example, cause the reproduction cycles of populations of lynx and hare to peak every 11 years. This cycle is also tied to an increase in the production of wheat and certain species of fish breeding in abundance. The internal clock of the human metabolism is likewise organized during the day.

Scientists have long since noticed and started to research the different reactions of the human body to different time intervals throughout the day. It was realized that pains eased during certain times of day and intensified during others. There are also rising and falling cycles for hormones and the nervous system. These coincided with periods of hunger, meals, and sleep.

It has been found that certain changes occur in the physical and mental makeup of humans during the year, seasons, month and day. Researchers agree that every human has a unique physical and mental clock, but there are generally broad similarities. The scientific field researching these is called chronobiology. Researchers in chronobiology have demonstrated that certain changes occur, according to time periods, in the endocrine and autonomic nervous system as well as the body’s water and salt balance.

Other studies have focused on biological changes with respect to space. The regulation of the body’s biological rhythm is found to be influenced by the movements and positions of the earth on its own axis, the moon around the earth, and the earth around the sun. As the atmospheric environment changes, so do living things.

Towards the end of the 1960s, scientists found that a synthetic corticosteroid drug called methylprednisolone was more reliable for treatment of arthritis and asthma when taken in the morning rather than at other times. “These rhythms might affect responses to cancer treatment,” says Eric Holland, a neurosurgeon at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, adding that there are optimal times for administrating radiation in mice.

A forty-three-year-old patient with 27 tumors in her liver whose drug treatment for colon cancer did not work volunteered for a trial and recovered from cancer after rescheduling the administration of her drugs. Oncologist Francis Lévi was so amazed by this effect on the patient that he became a supporter of chronotherapy, or time-cycled treatment. To Lévi, who works at Warwick Medical School in the United Kingdom, timing can prove even more important than dose. In the trial, the patient was first wired up to a device like a clock so that metabolic rhythms could be better monitored. The patient had extremely regular sleep-wake cycles, which Dr. Lévi believed was likely to have contributed to the success of the treatment. This novel understanding did not spread before because researchers could not explain molecular foundations of daily rhythms, or circadian cycles, until 10 years ago, and clinical data was inconsistent.

Lévi and his team randomly divided 186 chemotherapy patients into two groups. They administered medicine to one group in accordance with the participants’ biological clocks and to the other group according to the standard procedure. More than 50% of the former responded well, whereas the rate remained at only 29% for the latter. Another study found that 298 patients who had heart operations in the morning were twice as likely to have unsuccessful operations and develop complications as compared to 298 patients who had operations in the afternoon. To prevent the effects of the surgeon’s selection of patients, the same surgeons operated both in the morning and in the afternoon.

The 2017 Nobel Prize for the field of physiology was awarded to three American biologists, Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young, for their study into biological rhythms. Their research presents remarkable insights into the reasons why the biological rhythms of plants, animals and humans are created in coordination with the movements of the earth. The researchers used the fruit fly, an exemplary organism, and found the genes that controlled its daily biological rhythm. Discovering that these genes initiate the secretion of a protein that accumulated overnight and dwindled during the day, the researchers revealed that these proteins caused a mechanism made to work in a certain rhythm when the time was right. It was like a watch had been set inside the fruit flies’ cell.

It is estimated that approximately 80% of our genes follow night and day rhythms (and also possibly seasonal rhythms). Indeed, it has been identified that fits of asthma and epileptic seizures develop according to certain daily rhythms. The products expressed by the genes that are active in most tissues peak early in the day and in the afternoon and reach lows after dinner and before bedtime. All these activities are carried out by the “molecular biological watches” written in our genes. If we can better understand our internal clocks, researchers believe they could discover breakthroughs in the treatment of up to 150 diseases, including cancer.

The time machine

Many tissues in the body have their own time schedules arranged by regular cycles in which numerous innate “clock genes” envelop the body like a net. The timing of all these clocks can have a powerful impact on metabolic activity, the increase in the number of immune cells, and many other things. “The best advice I can offer is don’t mess with your body clock,” says Professor Derk-Jan Dijk, director of the Surrey Sleep Research Center in the city of Guildford, England. [1]

The biological clock is an extraordinary system. A group of neurons in the hypothalamus in the brain, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, are assigned as the central clock for all these activities in the body. The signals from this region play a role in initiating and finalizing the activities of the genes, which channel drugs to their molecular targets and help produce enzymes that destroy drugs. “Clock” genes are found virtually in every organ and tissue, and they are particularly important during cancer treatments, because interventions performed during such critical processes as the cycle of cellular division and growth and repair of DNA damage become significant for killing cancerous cells.

Cisplatin, an effective drug used for almost 50% of solid tissue cancers, kills malignant cells by binding to their certain parts, yet because the drug is toxic to the kidneys, lungs, and nervous system, efforts have been made to develop less toxic versions. Just as a cell develops cancer due to DNA damage, so is the destruction of the cancerous cell started by damaging the cell’s DNA. For this reason, some drug trials focus on blocking the DNA repair of the cancerous cell.

Observations made on the appearance and repair of DNA damage showed, as expected, that DNA damage was repaired more easily during certain periods of the day, leading to the hope that cancer can be treated through DNA repair if drugs are administered in tandem with this cycle. If optimal periods could be established for numerous normal cells to repair their DNA damage, administration of drugs can both optimize the useful effects of drugs and minimize toxicity of drugs with toxic properties.

The human organism and cells are not static, but dynamic. The behavior of our cells changes dramatically before and after a meal. Similarly, the movement and frequency of numerous materials circulated in our body when we are sleeping are different from when we are awake. Therefore, if the amount of a material doubles after lunch followed by a cup of coffee and if the material negates a drug taken by a patient, then that drug can be administered when this material is at its lowest in the body. For example, if the material is at a minimum at two in the morning, the drug can be given at that time, ensuring that the effect is maximized.

The studies into “man, the unknown” are bound to lead to many more discoveries about both treatments of diseases and the knowledge, power, and wisdom waiting to be found in the creation.

Note

1. https://woolcock.org.au/new-2/why-you-shouldnt-mess-with-your-body-clock-expert

References

• Leder, K., Pitter, K., LaPlant, Q. (2014). Mathematical Modeling of PDGF-Driven Glioblastoma Reveals Optimized Radiation Dosing Schedules. Cell. Cilt 156, Sayı 3, s. 603-616.
• Lévi, F., Zidani, R. & Misset, J.-L. (1997): Randomized multicentre trial of chronotherapy with oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and folinic acid in metastatic colorectal cancer. Lancet 350, 681–686.
• Peeples , L. (2018). Medicine’s secret ingredient — it’s in the timing. Synchronizing drug delivery with a patient’s body clock can yield clear benefits. But will the data be enough to overcome long-standing hurdles? Nature 556, 290-292 (2018).
• “Why You Shouldn’t Mess with Your Body Clock: Expert,” woolcock.org.au. August 7, 2018.