[christianchick (OP)]

I heard that people have the capability in their immune systems to fight of cancer, how would we do this, does anyone know more?

Greetings in Christ Jesus my Lord

[bezoar]

We do it on a daily basis.  A breakdown in the immune system allows our body to get cancer.  That's why cancer is usually a disease of older people.  As we get older, our immune systems don't work as well, like most other things in our bodies as we age.

[MayoFlyFarmer]

Cancer is usually caused be rearangements in your DNA  in certain cells that either turns on cancer or turns off cancer.  The main reason that more elderly people get cancer is because they've simply lived long enough and been exposed to enough carcinogens for this to be more likely.  It may seem confusing that your immune system helps fight this since it is not really a pathogen.  I don't even understand it fully.  I know that some viruses can cause rearangements in our DNA, so fighting these viruses might help avoid cancer.  But I also know from working with cancer cells in the lab that if our immune system is compromised in any way or if we are on immuno-suppressive therapy we can't work with the canecr cells because we cold potentially get cancer if the cells got into out system.  So your immune system must fight the cancer somehow.  My best guess is that since your immune system works by distinguishing "self" from "nonself"  and the cancer cells have differentiated gene expression, perhaps the express protiens that are not seen as "self" by the immune system and you body thus attacks these cells.  (just by hypothesis though)

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[bezoar]

We do it on a daily basis.  A breakdown in the immune system allows our body to get cancer.  That's why cancer is usually a disease of older people.  As we get older, our immune systems don't work as well, like most other things in our bodies as we age.

[MayoFlyFarmer]

Cancer is usually caused be rearangements in your DNA  in certain cells that either turns on cancer or turns off cancer.  The main reason that more elderly people get cancer is because they've simply lived long enough and been exposed to enough carcinogens for this to be more likely.  It may seem confusing that your immune system helps fight this since it is not really a pathogen.  I don't even understand it fully.  I know that some viruses can cause rearangements in our DNA, so fighting these viruses might help avoid cancer.  But I also know from working with cancer cells in the lab that if our immune system is compromised in any way or if we are on immuno-suppressive therapy we can't work with the canecr cells because we cold potentially get cancer if the cells got into out system.  So your immune system must fight the cancer somehow.  My best guess is that since your immune system works by distinguishing "self" from "nonself"  and the cancer cells have differentiated gene expression, perhaps the express protiens that are not seen as "self" by the immune system and you body thus attacks these cells.  (just by hypothesis though)

This is a signature.... AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!!

[Rokitansky]

A capability of immune sistem to fight cancer is well developed in the onset of it. However, during cancer development,the cancer makes to deceive our immune sistem in many ways.
Different expression of genes by the cancer cells seems to be a good guess. Also, if a cell is infected by the virus that caused it to proliferate abnormaly, expresion of viral antigen determinants on the surface of the cell might also help cells of the immune system to recognise cell as an ill.

[qpan]

Well, certain viruses are know to cause/ serious increase the risk of certain type of cancer due to the fact that they rearrange the dna in cells and therefore may cause cell abnormailities. Our immune system can protect us from these viruses and so, do help to prevent cancer.

However, i don't think it can tell between a cancer cell and a normal human cell, as usually only a small amount of the dna is different (the section detailing to the cell how many times it can reproduce before dying, which i believe in normal cells is something like 50 and is infinte in cancer cells).

"I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it."
-Edgar Allan Poe

[Donnah]

quote:Originally posted by christianchick

I heard that people have the capability in their immune systems to fight of cancer, how would we do this, does anyone know more?

I've just come across info that says if you have adequate enzymes and probiotics in your system, cancer can't get a toehold.  Without enzymes, vitamins and minerals cannot be utilized by the body.

[Ylide]

A blanket statement like that is probably just that company's way of selling you their probiotic and enzyme supplements.  There are far to many types of cancer to say that proper enzymes will prevent it from happening.  It could be genetic, environmental, or viral, all of which have different pathological mechanisms.  

Certainly a healthy immune system is helpful in any case but it doesn't make you magically immune to cancer, merely it gives you better odds of not developing a cancerous growth.



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