Research shows Modified Citrus Pectin makes lower chemotherapy doses work better.
This is important news because when it comes to cancer prevention and treatment, a strategic combination of diverse, integrative approaches might mean the difference between life and death. In fact, research published in the journal Cell Biology International suggests just that. The study analyzed a combination of Modified Citrus Pectin and the chemotherapy drug Doxorubicin, and found that using the two compounds together dramatically increased their anti-cancer effects, in this case against prostate cancer.
The Value of Combined Synergy
As an integrative physician, I rely on strategic combinations of the best treatments suited to an individual’s unique needs and requirements. In some cases, this involves the use of certain pharmaceutical compounds which can be more effective and less toxic when combined with specific natural therapies. This published study is an excellent example of such synergy, and highlights a key strategy in successful integrative cancer therapy.
Doxorubicin: The Red Devil
Doxorubicin (Dox) is an effective anti-cancer drug, but it’s also one of the most toxic. Nicknamed “The Red Devil” or “Red Death” for its serious side effects, Dox can cause severe heart and immune damage among other complications. The doses needed to impact tumors are not well tolerated by patients; however, researchers may have found an answer with this latest study.
Results demonstrated that combining Dox with Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) increased the anti-cancer activity of Dox. This finding bodes well for prostate cancer patients, especially those too weak for normal chemotherapy regimens. Combination therapy using MCP may allow for lower doses of Dox with greater clinical impact and reduced toxicity.
Dox with Modified Citrus Pectin
The study tested whether combining Dox with MCP would increase effectiveness against prostate cancer cells in vitro. It did, significantly. The team used two forms of prostate cancer: Androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and androgen-independent (DU-145). The results were impressive, as the combination treatment reduced cancer cell viability by more than 67 percent in both types. Specifically, the researchers were looking at the cell cycle, the cell division process and apoptosis—the programed cell death mechanisms which destroy abnormal cells and are often impaired in cancers.
Important News for Prostate Cancer
This study demonstrates that MCP enhances the cytotoxic effect of Doxorubicin in both androgen-dependent but more importantly in androgen-independent prostate cancer. This is especially important because prostate cancer patients who do not respond to hormone therapy and require chemotherapy are often the most in need of advanced treatments.
Androgen-dependent prostate cancer is often treated by depriving it of hormones. Androgen-independent prostate cancers no longer respond to hormone therapy, having developed new mechanisms to grow and thrive. The combination treatment worked against the androgen-dependent form by shutting down the cell cycle. The treatment killed the androgen-independent cells by boosting apoptosis.
Ongoing Modified Citrus Pectin Cancer Research
This is one of the latest in a series of studies that have substantiated MCP’s ability to fight cancer. As early as 1995, a study by researchers at Wayne State University found that MCP inhibited metastasis to the lungs in animals with prostate cancer. A phase I clinical trial in 1997 and a phase II clinical trial published in 2003, showed MCP slowed cancer growth in human subjects. A study in 2007 at Albert Ludwigs University in Germany found clinical benefit for advanced cancer patients receiving MCP treatment. And a study in 2010, conducted at Columbia University, showed MCP induces apoptosis and reduces proliferation in aggressive cancer.
MCP: The only proven Galectin-3 blocker
The powerful cancer-fighting abilities of MCP have attracted the attention of researchers and doctors around the world. MCP’s most significant anti-cancer function comes from its unique ability to disarm the dangerous Galectin-3 molecule. Decades of research show that excess Galectin-3 in the body fuels the growth and metastasis of cancer and makes the disease more aggressive. MCP is thus earning a prestigious reputation as the only natural compound proven to enter the blood stream and bind to excess Galectin-3 molecules, blocking their disease-causing effects. Furthermore, as a versatile natural therapy, MCP supports other angles of cancer prevention and treatment. MCP is proven to provide dramatic benefits for immune health; reduce chronic inflammation and safely remove heavy metals from the body.
Successful Integrative Medicine
The ability of such a safe supplement to decrease the needed dosage of Doxorubicin is very significant. Combination therapy using MCP allows lower levels of Doxorubicin to be used with greater effect on inducing rapid cell death in the hard-to-treat androgen-independent prostate cancer, and halting the viability of the androgen-dependent prostate cancer. The lower doses and increased effectiveness are a win-win.
This type of synergistic strategy is an excellent example of successful integrative medicine hard at work to fight disease, while simultaneously promoting the health of the patient with targeted, scientifically substantiated natural solutions.
To read about the MCP supplement that I most recommend, click here.
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