[Bar-none]

Fasting to regenerate immune system - anyone done it?

by Bar-none on Sat Jun 07, 2014 8:53 am

Has anyone done any physician monitored fasting and monitored immune system?

Interesting potential results require further study:

"Fasting for three days can regenerate entire immune system, study finds", The Telegraph (UK), June 5, 2014.

Fasting for as little as three days can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough described as "remarkable".

Although fasting diets have been criticised by nutritionists for being unhealthy, new research suggests starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing new white blood cells, which fight off infection.

Scientists at the University of Southern California say the discovery could be particularly beneficial for people suffering from damaged immune systems, such as cancer patients on chemotherapy.

Blessings.

[terryl1]

Re: Fasting to regenerate immune system - anyone done it?

by terryl1 on Sat Jun 07, 2014 10:34 pm

Interesting but since myeloma is a cancer of the immune system itself, perhaps, fasting may actually make the rogue plasma cell clones angrier and more numerous.

[Beacon Staff]

Re: Fasting to regenerate immune system - anyone done it?

by Beacon Staff on Sat Jun 07, 2014 11:39 pm

This seems to be the journal article related to the news story that Bar-none posted about:

CW Cheng et al, "Prolonged Fasting Reduces IGF-1/PKA to Promote Hematopoietic-Stem-Cell-Based Regeneration and Reverse Immunosuppression", Cell Stem Cell. 2014 Jun 5;14(6):810-823. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2014.04.014.

Highlights:
• Prolonged fasting downregulates a IGF-1/PKA pathway in stem cells
• Prolong fasting protects hematopoietic cells from chemotoxicity
• Prolonged fasting cycles promote HSC self-renewal to reverse immunosuppression
• Inhibition of IGF-1 or PKA signaling mimics the effects of prolonged fasting

Summary:
Immune system defects are at the center of aging and a range of diseases. Here, we show that prolonged fasting reduces circulating IGF-1 levels and PKA activity in various cell populations, leading to signal transduction changes in long-term hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) and niche cells that promote stress resistance, self-renewal, and lineage-balanced regeneration. Multiple cycles of fasting abated the immunosuppression and mortality caused by chemotherapy and reversed age-dependent myeloid-bias in mice, in agreement with preliminary data on the protection of lymphocytes from chemotoxicity in fasting patients. The proregenerative effects of fasting on stem cells were recapitulated by deficiencies in either IGF-1 or PKA and blunted by exogenous IGF-1. These findings link the reduced levels of IGF-1 caused by fasting to PKA signaling and establish their crucial role in regulating hematopoietic stem cell protection, self-renewal, and regeneration.

Full text (no subscription required):
http://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(14)00151-9

[Dr. Heather Landau]

Re: Fasting to regenerate immune system - anyone done it?

by Dr. Heather Landau on Mon Jun 09, 2014 12:25 am

While the paper suggests that fasting may be beneficial to the immune system, these results are generated in vitro (ie. in a petri dish). Unfortunately there is no data to support that fasting boosts the immune system in patients.

[HellsBells]

Re: Fasting to regenerate immune system - anyone done it?

by HellsBells on Mon Jun 09, 2014 6:42 am

Dr Landau wrote:

"While the paper suggests that fasting may be beneficial to the immune system, these results are generated in vitro (ie. in a petri dish). Unfortunately there is no data to support that fasting boosts the immune system in patients."

I think that this comment is unduly dimissive about a study which might suggest a very interesting way forward based on observed results in mammalian test subjects (mice) (see http://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(14)00151-9.)

The results refer to testing in mice and cross referencing to similar patterns in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy suggesting the basis of new treatment. Clearly further work is required in human test subjects (and I understand there is randomised clinical human trial now in progress). It is especially interesting that the study seems to suggest that fasting can help counter toxic effects of chemo.

[Eric Hofacket]

Re: Fasting to regenerate immune system - anyone done it?

by Eric Hofacket on Mon Jun 09, 2014 3:35 pm

I do not see Dr. Landau’s statement as dismissive but as cautionary. There are people who might read these links and start a severe fasting program with no medical supervision just on the basis of the information in these articles alone.

It does not seem clear how effective this would be in actual cancer patients, and if it is, what the best approach would be. That still seems and area of future research. But I do feel it is never a bad thing for anyone’s health to curb overeating, cancer or not.

[ivanm]

Re: Fasting to regenerate immune system - anyone done it?

by ivanm on Mon Jun 09, 2014 3:56 pm

Thank you for sharing this. It is worth exploring. There is no sure thing in multiple myeloma. Even if there is data, it is not uncommon for various studies to be contradictory. We all take chances in our hopes to gain a few extra years. I've done intermittent fasting (24hrs, once a week) but may try this approach too. The question for patients in stable disease is whether to rock the boat by adding variables. Again, a question of risk/reward tolerance. Trying things like fasting, supplements, diets and so on, once the disease relapses might be too late and to no avail. Anyways, once again, thank you for this.

[Eric Hofacket]

Re: Fasting to regenerate immune system - anyone done it?

by Eric Hofacket on Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:48 pm

I certainly think this is worth exploring further but as you said I do not see how anyone on their own as a single individual could evaluate and determine if any improvements or negative effects in fighting myeloma is a result of fasting, drug treatments, and a host of other potential factors. This is very hard to do even in a monitored clinical trial setting. I see people can go overboard sometimes with a little bit of information. Some article suggests a certain supplement has may have some anti-cancer benefit and some people start mega dosing based on their own wild guess as to how much they should take. I am not saying your are doing this but I have seen my own relatives and others do this type of thing. I think this can get really dangerous when people convince themselves they have found the cure and stop their regular treatment.

[terryl1]

Re: Fasting to regenerate immune system - anyone done it?

by terryl1 on Mon Jun 09, 2014 6:42 pm

I agree with Eric that this is worth exploring further. However, I do have a sneaking suspicion that a three, or even more days fast, would still leave one replete with myeloma since it literally is a cancer OF our own individual immune system.

[Dr. Heather Landau]

Re: Fasting to regenerate immune system - anyone done it?

by Dr. Heather Landau on Mon Jun 09, 2014 10:41 pm

My comments were not meant to be dismissive. As a transplant physician, prolonged fasting is something I address fairly regularly. While the studies in vitro and in mice are indeed interesting and short-term fasting is not particularly deleterious, prolonged fasting has significant consequences, for example, patients can experience Wernicke’s encephalopathy (a form of brain damage due to malnutrition) and GI microbiota (normal bacteria in our GI tracts) changes during chemotherapy that increase the risk for serious infections.

Therefore any patient who is going to experiment with this, should do so in a controlled environment such as in the context of the clinical trial that you highlighted. I certainly support innovative approaches to protect patients against the toxicity of chemotherapy and hasten immune recovery following treatment. But I just want to suggest prudence when interpreting data reported in the popular press.