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How the world got lost on
the road to an anti-aging pill
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August 21, 2020: by Bill Sardi
Cancer cells are cunning. They evade the immune system via a protein called PD-L1 that hides cancer cells from tumor-attacking cells like neutrophils, macrophages that digest malignant cells, and natural killer cells that literally blow up cancerous cells. Inhibition of PD-L1 is essential for cancer immunotherapy to work.
Now researchers discover the removal of copper from the blood via a copper binder/chelator (key-lay-tor) unleashes the immune system to destroy some of the deadliest cancers. This new understanding is already attributed to the survival of a 14-year old boy with treatment-resistant brain tumor.
It is known that cancer cells “feed” on copper, exhibiting up to six times more than normal levels of this metal inside tumor cells. A copper-chelating drug also increases the number of tumor-attacking T-cells and natural killer cells by 3.5-fold. Cancer-laden laboratory mice treated with a copper chelator exhibited increased survival.
The red wine molecule RESVERATROL has been shown to inhibit PD-L1 enzymes. Resveratrol “almost perfectly” occupies the target space that binds to PD-L1.
Excessive thyroid hormone is known to increase PD-L1. Resveratrol reduces the gene expression of PD-L1.
Tissue PD-L1 levels are known to be high in diabetes and obesity. Herbal medicines such as resveratrol suppress PD-L1 and therefore has application for patients with cancer and diabesity.
While copper is an essential nutrient and deficiency may stunt the immune system, unbound copper is the culprit. Normally copper is bound to ceruloplasmin, a protein. Copper supplementation increases levels of PD-L1.
The report published in CANCER RESEARCH notes this is a major breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy that can be implemented rapidly and economically in cancer clinics.
The average total body content of copper is ~50-120 milligrams, though it can be much higher.
Resveratrol is “by far the most potent chelator of copper.” Resveratrol removes copper from LDL cholesterol particles and arterial tissues. Resveratrol protects LDL cholesterol from oxidizing (hardening) via its copper chelation.
Resveratrol by virtue of its copper chelation attenuates cellular senescence that progressively increases frailty of older adults.
Copper chelation as therapy for a number of other diseases is also now in scientific discussion, particularly for lung scarring (pulmonary fibrosis), diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
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