History
In the early 1900’s, John Beard (a British embryologist) treated cancer patients (considered incurable) with proteolytic enzymes. Beard injected fluid from filtered pancreatic juice extract (of young pigs and sheep) into the veins or gluteal muscles of his cancer patients. When possible, he injected the juices directly into the tumor itself.
In his book, The Enzyme Treatment of Cancer and Its Scientific Basis (published in 1911), Beard related how more than half of the advanced cancer patients exhibited long-term cancer regression.
In 1925, Freud and Kaminer conducted research on enzyme therapy for cancer patients. They observed that in vitro carcinoma cells were dissolved after addition of sera from healthy blood donors. This finding was a precursor to the discovery of immune “blocking factors.”
Prof. Dr. Max Wolf worked with Freund in Vienna and discovered that “blocking factor” in the cancer patient’s blood could be eliminated by adding very small amounts of chymotrypsin or plasmin, thus allowing the regeneration of lytic blood activity.
Because of these findings, Wolf re-examined Beard’s pancreatic extract theory and investigated the efficiency of various plant and animal enzymes (and their potencies) in treating cancer. As a result of these experiments, Wolf developed his now world-famous systemic enzyme therapy. Since Wolf’s death, Karl Ransberger has continued to develop, refine, and modify Wolf’s concepts and could be considered the father of today’s approach to systemic enzyme therapy.
Effects on the Tumor Cell
The formation, infiltration, and growth of metastatic tumors are dependent on the blood’s ability to coagulate and on the blood’s adhesiveness. Individuals suffering from cancer are more likely to develop emboli, phlebitis (venous inflammation) and thromboses. In fact, the stronger the adhesiveness of the cancer cells, the greater the capacity of the tumor to develop metastases.
As enzyme research continued, the concept developed that fibrin is used by the cancer cells as a form of camouflage. That is, fibrin masks the cancer cell surface so that components of the immune system can no longer recognize the cancer cell as foreign. Degradation of the cancer cell fibrin coating allows the true cancer cell component to be identified, thus, the cancer cell is unmasked, allowing attack from the immune system and inhibition of potential metastatic cancer cell development. It is possible to reduce the development of cancer cell metastasis, the “cancer cell stickiness,” and to inhibit the invasive cancer cell growth (which occurs during various cancerous diseases) through the use of hemodiluting agents (anti-coagulants) and proteolytic enzymes.
Another method the cancer cells use to deceive components of the immune defense system is to shed the antigen cell-surface molecules. These antigens combine with specific antibodies to form immune complexes. These cancer cell antigens are also released when tumor cells are destroyed.
In order to escape detection by various cells of the immune system, cancer cells appear to employ at least four “escape mechanisms.”
1. By masking antigens with fibrin
2. By shedding (discarding) antigens.
3. By altering cancer cell appearance (antigens bind to one another).
4. By turning the cell membrane inward (with the antigens).
How does systemic enzyme therapy degrade the inhibitory immune (antigen-antibody) complexes? According to Professor Dr. H. Wrba and Dr. Pecher there are various modes of action.
1. By eliminating the fibrin coat, thus causing the release of antigens from cancer cells.
2. By activating the immune system (and immune cells).
3. By exposing the tumor cell antigens and allowing the simulated immune cells to attack the cancer cells, factors which inhibit the destruction of cancer cells are eliminated.
Immune Complexes and Cancer
Various factors inhibit cellular immunity. However, the most important elements seem to be “blocking factors” which cause immune suppression and are called “immune complexes.”
How are immune complexes formed? In cancer patients, immune complexes are produced by the reaction between the cancer cell’s antigens and antibodies in the host. Tumor cell antigens are released by destruction of cancer cells or are continuously released by changes in the cancer cell membrane (i.e., cancer cell surface ‘shedding’). Immune complexes are then formed by the coupling of these antigens to specific antibodies.
Immune Suppression and Immune Complexes
Under normal circumstances, the number of immune complexes formed is kept to a minimum. As long as there are only a few tumor cells in the body, few antigens occur. Macrophages are able to phagocytose and eliminate these cancer-related immune complexes. Thus, tumor cell growth should be under control. However, if macrophage activity is over-taxed by excessive tumor cell antigen concentration and numbers of immune complexes created, circulating antigen-antibody complex clearing will be incomplete. The result will be a build-up of immune complexes in the blood, lymph, and periphery causing inhibition of cellular immunity and excessive fibrin formation.
A surplus of undestroyed immune complexes causing excessive fibrin formation (in certain parts of the body) can activate thrombolytic aggregation. Simultaneously, non-phagocytosed immune complexes can activate the complement cascade causing an inflammatory response, which can cause precipitation of fibrin.
Circulating Immune Complex (CIC) Level and Disease Prognosis
According to Nydegger and Davis, less favorable prognoses are associated with higher concentrations of circulating immune complexes. The authors report that no circulating immune complexes could be found in the blood in 75% of patients with acute leukemia remission.
Proteolytic Enzyme Degradation of Immune Complexes
Research has shown that proteolytic enzyme combinations effectively reduce the numbers of immune complexes by IC-decoupling. However, the degree of CIC-degradation is dose-dependent.
General Improvement with Decreased CIC
As the immune complexes (IC) are eliminated, many cancer patients exhibit a general state of improvement and well-being. Signs include improved appetite, weight gain, and increased vitality. In addition to this, there is decreased frequency of depression or anxiety, and improvement in mobility.
Systemic Enzyme Therapy and Cancer
Professor Doctor H. Wrba (a world-famous Austrian physician and researcher) has frequently discussed enzymes as a new approach to cancer treatment and emphasized their proven absorption.
Systemic enzyme therapy increases the defense mechanism. It improves the body’s ability to recognize cancer cells and lowers their virulence.
Wrba feels that systemic enzyme therapy improves immune stimulation, causes modulation of the cell membrane, uncovers the cell surface and receptors, prevents metastasis by reducing the stickiness of the tumor cells, and facilitates the recognition reaction.
As immune therapy, enzymes intervene with the tumor-host relationship.
Cancer cells are constantly produced in the body. As long as our macrophages, lymphocytes, and other defense mechanisms can kill and eliminate sufficient numbers of the cells, or keep them from growing, the individual remains healthy. However, when we reach a certain age (usually about 30), the rate of cancer cell production seems to increase, while our body’s defense mechanisms weaken. Many other factors can increase the production of faulty cells, including poor living and eating habits, environmental pollution, nicotine and other street drugs, medications which weaken the immune system, and radiation. When these factors weaken our body’s defenses, the body is more susceptible to cancer.
Further, the process of removing a tumor (cancer surgery) can weaken the immune system. Rokitansky recommends treatment of patients systemically with hydrolytic enzyme mixtures prior to surgery and injects some patients peri- and intratumorally. It has been his experience that enzyme treatment induces a clearly increased defense mechanism (in the body) against the tumor cells.
Cancer disease correlates with functional immune deficiency. Therefore, it is critical for the patient’s future that his or her immunological defense is capable of coping with any cancer cells, which might remain after surgery.
Reduce the Risk
We are all “at risk” (of developing cancer) and should do everything in our power to help our bodies combat cancer. Our main objective must be to strengthen the immune system and our total body health.
Other Applications in Cancer
If radiation and/or chemotherapy are necessary, concurrent enzyme administration can be used to obtain the same effect with somewhat lower dose levels. In addition, a higher enzyme level protects the body from the feared radiation hangover and from some of the other unpleasant radiation and chemotherapeutic side-effects. However, if surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy is impossible (or no longer have value) enzyme therapy can at least have a pain-alleviating effect.
In addition to oral capsules, enzyme mixtures can be injected directly into almost all tumors (accessible to the needle). This can initiate or even cause complete tumor disintegration. Enzyme enemas have been used effectively.
Enzymes can reduce the over-all risk of cancer and are effective against a broad spectrum of cancers, including:
· Breast cancer
· Fibrocystic of the breast
· Various cancers of the abdominal cavity
· Bronchial cancer
· Uterine cancer
· Leukemia
· Testicular, prostate and urinary bladder cancer
· Skin cancer
· Cancers of the connective tissue
· Colon cancer
· Pleural carcinomas
· Ascitic peritoneal carcinoma
· Buccal, lingual, and laryngeal cancer
Summary and Review
Enzymes have proven their clinical value in the treatment of certain types of cancer.
Systemic enzyme therapy fights cancer in numerous ways. Enzymes dissolve the protein coating around the cancer cell and help remove its capacity to adhere to cell walls. Thus, the body’s defenses can destroy the cancer cell. Enzymes have a positive action on the immune system by: stimulating the immune system; activating macrophages and NK cells; increasing phagocytes; degrading and helping to eliminate pathogenic circulating immune complexes and inflammatory waste products.
I have successfully used enzyme therapy to completely shrink a mass and nodules on my thyroid and now use it to reduce pain and inflammation caused by osteoarthritis.
Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients – November 1995, pgs. 30-32.
xoxo,
Emanuela