Possible Cure for Leukemia Found in Fish Oil??

My Note: I caution you on the title of this press release as it is a leap from curing leukemia in mice to curing it in humans. However, this is very promising and a glimmer of hope. Human clinical trials will be starting soon, so if you or someone you know is interested, they should contact their doctor to see about getting added to the list.

Fish oil has many benefits and it would be wonderful if this could be added to its long list of health benefits, but of course more research is needed. The great part is, fish oil would not interfere with any medications being taken, allowing the patient to experience a possible successful treatment without having to stop current treatments.

I highly recommend printing this out and taking it to your doctor so he/she can look into this research further and offer to help get you in touch with the those conducting the clinical trials.

Leukemia is such a frightening disease, especially to those of us who are parents. I pray to see a cure for it, wherever it may come from, in my lifetime.

Possible Cure for Leukemia Found in Fish Oil

by Press Release : Dec 29, 2011 : Pennsylvania State University

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222103112.htm

"We have shown that some metabolites of Omega-3 have the ability to selectively kill the leukemia-causing stem cells in mice. The important thing is that the mice were completely cured of leukemia with no relapse." -Sandeep Prabhu

NOTE FROM FOUNDING EDITOR: I'm sorry for those of you whom this discovery may be coming too late. Though it may take some time before the patent is approved, if it is granted, its value will be beyond comprehension, both in what it will accomplish and its monetary worth. -Steve Shultz

(Pennsylvania) - A compound produced from fish oil that appears to target leukemia stem cells could lead to a cure for the disease, according to Penn State researchers.

The compound - delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3 - targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, in mice, said Sandeep Prabhu, associate professor of immunology and molecular toxicology in the Department of Veterinary and Medical Sciences. The compound is produced from EPA - Eicosapentaenoic Acid - an Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and in fish oil, he said. (Photo: The compound shown above is D12-PGJ2, which closely resembles delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3, a compound that targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia or CML in mice. Credit: Sandeep Prabhu)

"Research in the past on fatty acids has shown the health benefits of fatty acids on cardiovascular system and brain development, particularly in infants, but we have shown that some metabolites of Omega-3 have the ability to selectively kill the leukemia-causing stem cells in mice," said Prabhu. "The important thing is that the mice were completely cured of leukemia with no relapse."

The researchers, who released their findings in the current issue of Blood, said the compound kills cancer-causing stem cells in the mice's spleen and bone marrow. Specifically, it activates a gene - p53 - in the leukemia stem cell that programs the cell's own death.

"p53 is a tumor suppressor gene that regulates the response to DNA damage and maintains genomic stability," Prabhu said.

Killing the stem cells in leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells, is important because stem cells can divide and produce more cancer cells, as well as create more stem cells, Prabhu said.

The current therapy for CML extends the patient's life by keeping the number of leukemia cells low, but the drugs fail to completely cure the disease because they do not target leukemia stem cells, said Robert Paulson, associate professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, who co-directed this research with Prabhu.

"The patients must take the drugs continuously," said Paulson. "If they stop, the disease relapses because the leukemia stem cells are resistant to the drugs."

Current treatments are unable to kill the leukemia stem cells, Paulson said.

"These stem cells can hide from the treatment, and a small population of stem cells give rise to more leukemia cells," said Paulson. "So, targeting the stem cells is essential if you want to cure leukemia."

During the experiments, the researchers injected each mouse with about 600 nanograms of D12-PGJ3 each day for a week. Tests showed that the mice were completely cured of the disease. The blood count was normal, and the spleen returned to normal size. The disease did not relapse.

In previous experiments, the compound also killed the stem cells of Friend Virus-induced leukemia, an experimental model for human leukemia.

The researchers focused on D12-PGJ3 because it killed the leukemia stem cells, but had the least number of side effects. The researchers currently are working to determine whether the compound can be used to treat the terminal stage of CML, referred to as Blast Crisis. There are currently no drugs available that can treat the disease when it progresses to this stage.

The researchers, who applied for a patent, are also preparing to test the compound in human trials.

~NEW OMEGAGUARD

Omega Guard™ delivers a full spectrum of ultra-pure, pharmaceutical-grade omega-3 fatty acids to support healthy heart, joint and brain function*. It is made with a proprietary multistep molecular distillation process for the utmost purity and potency of omega-3s fatty acids, including EPA and DHA.

Click for more information on Omegaguard