Dr. Jai Maharaj
Cardiologists laud blood treatment
Unorthodox 'immune modulation therapy' holds promise for
patients with heart failure
By André Picard Public Health Reporter The Globe and Mail
Wednesday, June 30, 2004 - Page A19
It sounds like the brainchild of a mad scientist: Draw blood
from the arm, heat it up, pump it with oxygen and bombard it
with ultraviolet light and then re-inject it into the
patient's butt.
But as strangely unorthodox as it may seem, the process -
- called immune modulation therapy -- may well be a
legitimate and effective means of treating heart failure.
Even cardiologists, a traditionally conservative group,
are excited.
"I remember thinking, when I first heard about this: 'This
is very weird,' " said Debra Isaac, an associate clinical
professor of cardiology at the University of Calgary.
"But, ultimately, I was impressed by the science behind
the idea."
The key scientific notion here is that inflammation plays
a pivotal role in the development and progression of
heart failure.
The new blood-zapping procedure "targets inflammation by kick-
starting the immune system's anti-inflammatory response,"
Dr. Isaac said.
Immune modulation therapy, a patented therapy developed by
Toronto-based Vasogen Inc., involves taking about 10 cubic
centimetres of blood (two teaspoons), then putting it into a
machine that "stresses" the blood by subjecting it to heat,
oxidation, and UV light.
Those stresses are designed to induce apoptosis (cell
death) in white blood cells, those that influence the
body's immune response.
When this zapped blood is re-injected into the patient, the
dying cells trigger a powerful immune response.
"What it seems to do is change the ratio," Dr. Isaac said.
"It increases the anti-inflammatory response and decreases
the inflammatory response."
Practically, what that means is the inflammatory process,
which can be toxic to the heart, is slowed. Inflammation can
damage the arteries and lead to a narrowing of the blood
vessels, a principal cause of heart disease.
In preliminary research, immune modulation therapy resulted
in a sharp reduction in symptoms among heart failure
patients. This leads researchers to believe the approach
could slow the progression of heart failure, or even reverse
some of the damage.
But a large-scale study is only beginning, so results will
not be available for a few years.
Joan Oulette, a retired waitress who lives in Airdrie,
Alta., has signed up, hoping to do her part to find new
treatments for heart failure.
A lifelong smoker, she was diagnosed with heart failure in
1999. She underwent her first immune modulation therapy
treatment earlier this week and, while she is a bit
skeptical, she hopes the treatment will improve her health.
"This sounds like some Dracula science fiction thing, taking
out your blood and then putting it back in you," she said.
"But they explained pretty good, saying they want to kick-
start my immune system and make my heart stronger.
"I'm willing to give it a try," Ms. Oulette said.
The 62-year-old retiree said her health is relatively good,
which she credits to "keeping loyal to my meds."
Ms. Oulette takes 18 pills a day already -- for blood
pressure, cholesterol and diuretics -- and said having
blood taken and re-injected once a month will hardly
be a bother.
Mt. Isaac stressed that the new therapy is not designed to
replace existing treatments, but to supplement them.
Heart failure occurs when the heart loses its ability to
pump enough blood. Usually, this loss is a symptom of an
underlying heart problem, such as clogged arteries. While
the term heart failure suggests a sudden and complete stop
of the heart, the condition actually develops slowly, often
over years.
More than 350,000 Canadians suffer from heart failure. It is
a deadly, costly condition, with few effective long- term
treatments. Nearly 40 per cent of patients die within one
year of diagnosis. Heart failure is one of the leading
causes of hospitalization; treatment costs are an estimated
$2.3-billion annually.
More at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews-
/TPStory/LAC/20040630/HBLOOD30/TPHealth/
Jai Maharaj http://www.mantra.com/jai Om Shanti
Hindu Holocaust Museum http://www.mantra.com/holocaust
Hindu life, principles, spirituality and philosophy
http://www.hindu.org (http://www.hindu.org/) http://www.hindunet.org (http://www.hindunet.org/)
The truth about Islam and Muslims
http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate
The terrorist mission of Jesus stated in the Christian
bible:
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I
came not so send peace, but a sword. "For I am come to
set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law
against her mother in law. "And a man's foes shall be
they of his own household.
- Matthew 10:34-36.
o Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used
for the educational purposes of research and open
discussion. The contents of this post may not have
been authored by, and do not necessarily represent
the opinion of the poster. The contents are protected
by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of
copyrighted works. o If you send private e-mail to
me, it will likely not be read, considered or
answered if it does not contain your full legal name,
current e-mail and postal addresses, and live-voice
telephone number. o Posted for information and
discussion. Views expressed by others are not
necessarily those of the poster.
Unorthodox 'immune modulation therapy' holds promise for
patients with heart failure
By André Picard Public Health Reporter The Globe and Mail
Wednesday, June 30, 2004 - Page A19
It sounds like the brainchild of a mad scientist: Draw blood
from the arm, heat it up, pump it with oxygen and bombard it
with ultraviolet light and then re-inject it into the
patient's butt.
But as strangely unorthodox as it may seem, the process -
- called immune modulation therapy -- may well be a
legitimate and effective means of treating heart failure.
Even cardiologists, a traditionally conservative group,
are excited.
"I remember thinking, when I first heard about this: 'This
is very weird,' " said Debra Isaac, an associate clinical
professor of cardiology at the University of Calgary.
"But, ultimately, I was impressed by the science behind
the idea."
The key scientific notion here is that inflammation plays
a pivotal role in the development and progression of
heart failure.
The new blood-zapping procedure "targets inflammation by kick-
starting the immune system's anti-inflammatory response,"
Dr. Isaac said.
Immune modulation therapy, a patented therapy developed by
Toronto-based Vasogen Inc., involves taking about 10 cubic
centimetres of blood (two teaspoons), then putting it into a
machine that "stresses" the blood by subjecting it to heat,
oxidation, and UV light.
Those stresses are designed to induce apoptosis (cell
death) in white blood cells, those that influence the
body's immune response.
When this zapped blood is re-injected into the patient, the
dying cells trigger a powerful immune response.
"What it seems to do is change the ratio," Dr. Isaac said.
"It increases the anti-inflammatory response and decreases
the inflammatory response."
Practically, what that means is the inflammatory process,
which can be toxic to the heart, is slowed. Inflammation can
damage the arteries and lead to a narrowing of the blood
vessels, a principal cause of heart disease.
In preliminary research, immune modulation therapy resulted
in a sharp reduction in symptoms among heart failure
patients. This leads researchers to believe the approach
could slow the progression of heart failure, or even reverse
some of the damage.
But a large-scale study is only beginning, so results will
not be available for a few years.
Joan Oulette, a retired waitress who lives in Airdrie,
Alta., has signed up, hoping to do her part to find new
treatments for heart failure.
A lifelong smoker, she was diagnosed with heart failure in
1999. She underwent her first immune modulation therapy
treatment earlier this week and, while she is a bit
skeptical, she hopes the treatment will improve her health.
"This sounds like some Dracula science fiction thing, taking
out your blood and then putting it back in you," she said.
"But they explained pretty good, saying they want to kick-
start my immune system and make my heart stronger.
"I'm willing to give it a try," Ms. Oulette said.
The 62-year-old retiree said her health is relatively good,
which she credits to "keeping loyal to my meds."
Ms. Oulette takes 18 pills a day already -- for blood
pressure, cholesterol and diuretics -- and said having
blood taken and re-injected once a month will hardly
be a bother.
Mt. Isaac stressed that the new therapy is not designed to
replace existing treatments, but to supplement them.
Heart failure occurs when the heart loses its ability to
pump enough blood. Usually, this loss is a symptom of an
underlying heart problem, such as clogged arteries. While
the term heart failure suggests a sudden and complete stop
of the heart, the condition actually develops slowly, often
over years.
More than 350,000 Canadians suffer from heart failure. It is
a deadly, costly condition, with few effective long- term
treatments. Nearly 40 per cent of patients die within one
year of diagnosis. Heart failure is one of the leading
causes of hospitalization; treatment costs are an estimated
$2.3-billion annually.
More at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews-
/TPStory/LAC/20040630/HBLOOD30/TPHealth/
Jai Maharaj http://www.mantra.com/jai Om Shanti
Hindu Holocaust Museum http://www.mantra.com/holocaust
Hindu life, principles, spirituality and philosophy
http://www.hindu.org (http://www.hindu.org/) http://www.hindunet.org (http://www.hindunet.org/)
The truth about Islam and Muslims
http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate
The terrorist mission of Jesus stated in the Christian
bible:
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I
came not so send peace, but a sword. "For I am come to
set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law
against her mother in law. "And a man's foes shall be
they of his own household.
- Matthew 10:34-36.
o Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used
for the educational purposes of research and open
discussion. The contents of this post may not have
been authored by, and do not necessarily represent
the opinion of the poster. The contents are protected
by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of
copyrighted works. o If you send private e-mail to
me, it will likely not be read, considered or
answered if it does not contain your full legal name,
current e-mail and postal addresses, and live-voice
telephone number. o Posted for information and
discussion. Views expressed by others are not
necessarily those of the poster.
