The Los Angeles Times reports that researchers have taken white blood cells from mice with natural immunity to cancer and implanted them in normal mice. This single transplant gives the normal mice permanent immunity to all forms of cancer.

Especially interesting is the fact a brand-new biological process appears to be at work. The scientists are assuming the process is somehow genetic in nature.

The studies, led by Dr. Zhen Cui, have been repeated at Wake Forest University School of Medicine but not at other laboratories. There have not been enough of the naturally resistant mice been bred to supply other laboratories. (An aggressive breeding program is changing all that.)

Nevertheless, the results were good enough to be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Other laboratories are eager to replicate them, and the supply of immune mice is rapidly being increased.

The immune mice were an accidental discovery made in 1999. Researchers at Wake Forest were injecting mice with cancer cells to study how cancer spreads. One mouse was found that exhibited total resistance to infection. Fortunately, it was a trait passed on to offspring.

In these mice, any tumors that develop are killed within two days. The mice are otherwise normal in every respect. There is no harm to normal tissues.

It works for every type of cancer tested. Researchers are optimistic that the fact that the immunity lasts for a lifetime and transfers between strains of mice when crossbred mean it will work in humans as well.

Dr. Richard Miller of the University of Michigan Medical School commented, “Cui’s papers are technically sound, carefully controlled and well thought out. But whenever there is a result this surprising, it’s always important to have others confirm it.”

The Wake Forest team expects that the immunity has arisen from a mutated form of one gene. They have been attempting to isolate it. However, if it is a genetic mutation it is not on the same chromosome in all mice — a surprising and frustrating finding.

Scientists at The Cancer Research Institute, Scripps Research Institute and Washington University School of Medicine have agreed to collaborate in efforts to isolate the gene.

This is not merely a laboratory curiosity, as the limited evidence to date indicates the same mechanism may exist in humans as well. The Wake Forest team has developed a simple lab test for the immunity.

When white blood cells from mice with the immunity are mixed with tumor cells, they surround the tumor cells and then rupture them. Cells taken from people who never get cancer have been found to behave in the same fashion.

There are a few caveats: Humans are more prone to reject cells from other humans, so matching of types would have to be carefully considered and developed. In addition, the cells would need to be free of viruses.

It would appear the viral concern could be addressed several ways. One approach would be simply bathing the cells in Mesosilver; a product that University of Texas lab results and those from half a dozen other laboratories indicate kills all viruses.

Insofar as the matching of types, we do this routinely with blood cells, so I see no reason in principle why this could not be done with white blood cells as well.

Let’s be conservative. Assuming it is a genetic process and humans naturally lack this gene, it would still be possible to design a virus to “infect” people with the gene. (This has been done to transfer immune system capabilities to “bubble babies,” although there have been side effects.)

Regardless of possible side effects, this is surely a desirable option as a last resort for people with terminal cancer. However, in such a case the ultimate solution might be the design of a gene(s) similar to the mouse gene(s) but functioning optimally in humans.

The bottom line is that something has been discovered with earth-shaking significance. I expect that it will be found not only effective in controlling cancers, but also to offer other benefits.

Assuming the white blood cells that are transferred are not themselves immortal, then it would appear this process must work by the mutant cells training all of the recipient body’s white blood cells to “think” differently — and sustaining that memory for life.

It’s almost as if the “smarter” white blood cells have an ability to recognize not only viruses and bacteria as invaders, but any kind of cell that’s aberrant, at least in the manner of a cancer.

The notion of cells having memory is well established in science. It’s the basic mechanism by which white blood cells recognize invaders. In his groundbreaking book The Biology of Belief, cell biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton explores this phenomenon in detail.

I’ll be watching closely to see which companies are licensed to develop and market this new process. It should be worth a fortune.

To your profitable future,
Jonathan Kolber
August 21, 2007

P.S.: As I discussed earlier, there is a viral concern involved in this kind of process as there is in many similar processes. It is a concern shared by the entire medical community. One of the companies my Emerging Capital Report readers are aware of has the solution.

Penny Stock Cancer Treatments was originally featured in the Penny Sleuth.