Type of T cell that regulates immune responses
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Dr Deb Muth 00:03Well, welcome back to Let’s Talk Wellness Now. I am your host, Dr. Deb. And what is the most talked-about peptides in functional medicine? aren’t actually FDA approved. Not because they don’t work, but because no one’s funded the research to prove it yet. The truth is, some of the compounds that dominate wellness forums, BPC-157, TB-500, thymosin beta-4, epitalin, occupy a fascinating space between breakthrough science and unregulated experimentation. In today’s episode, we’re stepping into that grey zone, the world of investigational peptides, to separate mechanism from marketing. I’m going to walk you through the science that actually shows and where it stops, how to evaluate claims when human data don’t yet exist, and the quality, purity, and safety red flags that you need to recognise. Dr Deb Muth 01:06I created it in a previous episode, so go check that one out. And why honesty is the most important prescription in peptide medicine. If you’ve ever wondered whether these research-only peptides are the frontier of healing or the next functional medicine fad, this episode is for you. So grab your cup of tea or coffee, get comfortable, and let’s talk about what it really means to use peptides that are promising but still under investigation. So we’re going to break just for a second here and have a word from our sponsor. It is because of them that we stay on the air. So thank you for this. And we will be right back. Did you know sweating can literally heal your cells? Infrared saunas don’t just relax you. They detox your body, balance hormones, and boost mitochondrial energy. I’m obsessed with my Health Tech sauna. And right now, you can save $500 with my code at healthtechhealth.com slash dr-muth-req-25. Dr. Deb Muth 02:15All right, guys, welcome back. Let’s dive into investigational peptides, the evidence gap. So the following peptides we’re about ready to discuss are extensively in integrative, functional, and regenerative medicine circles. They may have intriguing mechanisms and promising preclinical data. However, they lack FDA approval, and the evidence quality varies dramatically. from interesting preliminary research to essentially no human data at all. And this distinction is really critical for maintaining scientific integrity. So let’s talk about immune-modulating peptides. There’s thymus and alpha-1, and this is an international story on the thymic peptides. Thymusin alpha-1, known as TA1, is marketed internationally as zidaxin. Dr. Deb Muth 03:16It’s a 28-amino acid polypeptide originally isolated from thymusin fraction 5, which was extracted from bovine thymus tissue. Modern production uses synthetic peptide synthesis. The thymus gland is located behind the sternum and is the primary site for T cell maturation, and thymic peptides like TA1 play roles in human system development and regulation. Now, I love thymus peptides. I love thymus glandular products. I’ve used thymus glandular products for decades. Ground-up animal thymus gland is basically what it is. There are a couple of different supplement companies that I’ve used over the years that are amazing with this. And they do a fantastic job, and they really do help to support the immune system. So when thymus peptides came out, it was really exciting because it took the whole idea of thymus support to a new level. Dr. Deb Muth 04:17The mechanism actually behind the thymus in alpha-1 is complex and involves multiple aspects of immune function. At the cellular level, TA1 enhances T cell maturation and differentiation, particularly the development of helper T cells and cytotoxic T cells. It modulates T cell receptor expression and can influence the balance between Th1 cell-mediated immunity and Th2 humoral immunity responses. And it also enhances the natural killer cell activity and modulates dendritic cell function, which are critical for antigen presentation. and initiation of adaptive immune responses. And on the cytokine level, TA1 influences production of interleukin-2, IL-2, interferon gamma, IFN-γ, and interleukin-10, IL-10. Dr. Deb Muth 05:19These create immune modulatory rather than simple immune stimulatory effects. This is a very important distinction because TA1 appears to help balance the immune system rather than simply ramping this up, which theoretically makes it safer in conditions where immune overstimulation would be a problem, such as an autoimmune disease. Hashimoto’s, autoimmune, lupus, Sjogren’s, any of those autoimmune diseases, we don’t want to overstimulate their immune system. So you want to use a product like this that’s non-stimulating. Now, the regulatory status on TA1 is geographically variable and represents one of the challenges in discussing this peptide with patients. It is not FDA-approved in the United States. However, it is approved in several other countries for specific conditions. Dr. Deb Muth 06:19In Italy, it’s approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C. In China, it’s approved for chronic hepatitis B and adjunct immune compromised patients receiving vaccinations or suffering from certain infections. It has an orphan drug designation in the United States for certain cancer indications, but its designation does not constitute approval. It simply provides regulatory incentives for further development. So the evidence base for thymosin alpha-1 is substantial in some areas but comes primarily from non-US populations and research groups, which creates challenges in evaluating quality and generalizable information. So in hepatitis B and C, multiple clinical trials, many conducted in China and Italy, have examined TA1 as an adjunct to antiviral therapy. Dr. Deb Muth 07:21A meta-analysis by Wu and colleagues published in the Journal of Viral Hepatitis in 2013 examined 23 randomized controlled trials, including over 2,000 patients with chronic hepatitis B. The analysis found that combining TA1 with nucleoside analogs like LAMVDUDE or an and TCAVAR improved the hepatitis antigen seroconversion rates by HBV DNA clearance compared to its nucleoside analogs alone. And the effect sizes were modest but statistically significant, with the HBE-AG seroconversion rates improving from about 24% with antivirals alone to 38% in combined therapy. Now in hepatitis C, early trials before the development of direct-acting antivirals showed that TA1 combined with interferon alpha improved sustained virological responses, and compared to interferon alpha, Dr. Deb Muth 08:30Furon alone, particularly in difficult-to-treat populations like those with a genotype one or a high viral load. However, the advent of highly effective direct acting antivirals that achieve SRV rates, sorry, SVR rates exceeding 95%, the role of TA1 in hepatitis C has become less clear. Now in sepsis and critical illness, more recent interest has focused on TA1 in severe cases of sepsis and septic shock. Ren and colleagues published a systematic review and meta-analysis in the Frontiers of Immunology in 2022, analyzing 18 randomized controlled trials, including 1787 patients with severe sepsis or septic shock the pooled analysis showed that ta1 administration was associated with reduced 28-day mortality relative risk at 0.70 meaning a 30 reduction in mortality compared to the standard care alone and the effect appeared Dr. Deb Muth 09:39most pronounced in patients with sepsis-induced immunosuppression measured by HLA-DR expression in monocytes. Now, this is amazing because going forward, we’re going to talk about something that’s commonly known as cytokine storm. Now, cytokine storm really became apparent since 2020 with the viral infection that we’re dealing with in the world today. But they were already looking at this kind of cytokine storm produced by sepsis or sepsis-induced immunosuppression. And it triggered this hyperinflammatory response called the cytokine storm. And many patients who survived the initial phase of the immune suppressed stata, characterized by a T cell exhaustion, reduced antigen presentation, and increased susceptibility to secondary infections. Thymusin alpha-1, TA1, may help restore this immune competence in this phase. However, it’s important to note that patient selection and timing are critical. Dr. Deb Muth 10:43Giving this immune stimulant during a hyperinflammatory phase could theoretically worsen outcomes. So you don’t want to give it to them while they’re in the flare up or the sepsis or the infection, but given to them during the immunosuppression phase afterwards might be beneficial. Now there is also some cancer immunotherapy that we see with TA1 and has been studied as an adjunct in cancer treatment with the hypothesis that it could enhance immune surveillance and response to tumors. And a comprehensive review of Garci and colleagues published in Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy in 2007 examined multiple trials in melanoma, lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and other malignancies. And the results were mixed. Some trials showed improvement in the immune parameters, increased CD4 in T-cells. improved lymphocyte proliferation responses and some actually showed trends toward improved progression free survival but overall survival benefits were inconsistent and the heterogeneity of the cancer types treatment protocols and outcome measures makes a definitive conclusion difficult as a vaccine adjunct several studies particularly from china have examined ta1 as an adjunct to enhance vaccine responses Dr. Deb Muth 12:11in immune-compromised populations, including the elderly, dialysis patients, and transplant recipients. The rationale is sound. These populations often mount suboptimal antibody responses to vaccines, and TA1’s immune-enhancing effects might improve protection. There are small trials. They have shown improvement in seroconversion rates of hepatitis B vaccines and influenza vaccine in these populations. And though large-scale confirmatory studies are limited, there is a possibility here. Now, on their safety profile, one of the appealing aspects of thymusin alpha-A TA1 is that it’s apparently favorable safety profile in clinical trials. There are some injection site reactions with a little redness, a mild discomfort, and most commonly reported adverse effects. is that their severe adverse events attributable to TA1 have been rare in published trials. However, comprehensive long-term safety data are limited Dr. Deb Muth 13:13And theoretically, concern exists that immune modulation could potentially trigger or exasperate autoimmune conditions in susceptible individuals. Though this hasn’t been clearly demonstrated in clinical trials, integrative medicine considerations for integrative practitioners concerning the thymus and alpha-1, several factors require careful thought. First, sourcing and quality control are critical concerns. Since it’s not FDA approved, TA1 available in the United States typically will come from a compounding pharmacy or an international supplier with variable quality assurance. And pharmaceutical grade product with certificates of analysis showing purity, sterility, and endotoxin testing is essential, but it is readily available from many of these companies. Second, patient selection matters immensely. TA1 should be considered in complex cases where conventional approaches have been insufficient, such as chronic viral infections not responding adequately Dr. Deb Muth 14:21to standard antivirals, post-viral syndromes with evidence of immune dysfunction, cancer patients with immune suppression in consultation with oncology, and it should generally be avoided in active autoimmune disease unless there’s a compelling rationale and close monitoring. Now, TA1 is not a standalone therapy. In cases of chronic viral infection, Comprehensive immune support includes addressing nutritional deficiencies, optimizing vitamin D levels to be between 50 and 80, adequate zinc, selenium, and vitamin A, optimizing gut health since 80% of our immune function is in the gut, you need to optimize gut function. Managing stress from the HPA access dysfunction, chronic cortisol elevation, suppression, and immunity, ensuring adequate sleep, immune memory consolidations during sleep, addressing any metabolic dysfunction, insulin resistance, repairs in the immune function, and the bottom line on thymus and alpha-1 is Dr. Deb Muth 15:26is that it represents legitimate medicine in other countries with a substantial evidence base in specific contexts, but it remains experimental in the U.S., and practitioners using it should provide comprehensive, informed consent about its regulatory status, evidence quality, and source verification. while ensuring it’s part of comprehensive protocols. It is not a magic bullet. And again, what you’re gonna hear me say quite often here is that many of these peptides should be used in conjunction with something else. They should not be used alone. And can peptides be stacked? The answer is yes, they can. So if somebody has an insulin resistance, or a metabolic dysfunction, they can tier TA1 with a GLP-1 like terzepatide or semiglutide. That is not a problem to do that. You need to just work with a practitioner that understands how to do that effectively. So let’s look at BPC-157. Dr. Deb Muth 16:26This is a phenomenon I love BPC-157. Let’s separate it from marketing to actual mechanism of actions here. So BPC-157 stands for Body Protection Compound 157. It is a chain of 15 amino acids that are described as a partial sequence of body protection compound, a protein found in human gastric juice. It has become one of the most hyped peptides in regenerative medicine inside the athletic performance and biohacking communities with claims ranging from healing tendons and ligaments to repairing gut lining or reversing organ damage. The challenge is separating the legitimate mechanisms of science from the marketing hype. The proposed mechanism of BPC-157 are biologically plausible and intriguing. The research suggests that it may influence several growth factor pathways, including vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF, which promotes new blood vessel formation and has improved better supply of blood flow to injured tissues, theoretically accelerating healing. Dr. Deb Muth 17:40It may also affect fibrous blast growth factor, FGF, and transforming growth factor beta, TGF beta pathways. both involved in tissue repair and remodeling. And some studies actually suggest that BPC-157 modulates inflammatory cascades, potentially reducing excessive inflammation while promoting the resolution phase that allows tissue rebuilding. Now I want to talk just a few moments here about these different tests that we’re talking about tgf beta veg f for those of you who are in our mold world you are very familiar with these uh lab tests we do this to see if you have a mold exposure what’s happening to your body and it’s been very challenging to try to heal this part of the mold illness and manipulate these VEGFs and TGF betas. And so with the fact that BPC helps us modulate this inflammatory cascade, BPC can be very helpful in the world of mold or mycotoxin illness in repairing those parts of the body that have been damaged by the mycotoxins. Dr. Deb Muth 18:48Now there is animal research on BPC-157. It is extensive and primarily from a research group led by pre-drag, oh, I can never say these names, Cyrek at the University of Zagreb in Croatia. Published studies in animal models have shown accelerated healing in a remarkable variety of injury types. A 2011 paper by Chang and colleagues in the Journal of Applied Physiology demonstrated that BPC-157 improved therapy tendon healing in rats with Achilles tendon injuries, and the treated rats showed increased tendon outgrowth, better cell survival in the injured area, enhanced cell migration to the injury site, and improved biochemical strength of the healed tendon compared to controls. Multiple other animal studies have shown similar promising effects. Ligament tears, healing faster in rabbits, muscle damage recovering more quickly in rodent models, gastric ulcers healing in rats given experimental induced ulcerations, inflammatory bowel lesions improving in mouse models of colitis, and even bone to tendon healing showing enhancement in animal studies. Dr. Deb Muth 20:02The breadth of injury types showing benefit in preclinical models explains the enthusiasm of this peptide. However, this is critical. These animal studies, primarily in rodents and rabbits, animal models of injury healing don’t reliably translate to human clinical outcomes. And the doses used in these animal studies when converted to human equivalent doses vary widely. And optimal human dosing is completely unknown at this point. it is all considered experimental and perhaps most importantly there are essentially no peer-reviewed controlled clinical trials in human published in humans published in major medical journals in a 2001 review of arthroscopy and the journal of arthroscopic and related surgery specifically examined in the evidence of bpc 157 and other peptides in musculoskeletal medicine The authors concluded bluntly that BPC-157 lacks evidence from randomized controlled trials and has an unknown safety profile in humans. Dr. Deb Muth 21:09 They emphasized that the jump from animal data to recommending peptides for humans use bypasses the fundamental requirement for Phase I safety studies, Phase II dose-finding studies, and Phase III efficacy trials that would establish whether BPC-157 actually works in humans and whether or not it’s safe. The absence of human safety data is particularly concerning given BPC-157’s proposed mechanisms. Peptides that influence growth factor signaling and angiogenesis could theoretically have off-target effects. Uncontrolled angiogenesis, for instance, is a hallmark of cancer progression. Tumors require blood vessel formation to grow beyond a certain size. And while there’s no evidence that BPC 157 promotes cancer, The complete absence of long term human safety studies means we simply don’t know. This isn’t fear mongering. It’s acknowledging uncertainty and uncertainty exists and understanding that if you’re choosing to use peptides like BPC 157, you are doing it in an experimental model. Dr. Deb Muth 22:17We’re experimenting with the doses that are being used. And there is potential for it to cause cancer cells in your body to grow. And you need to be aware of this and understand the risks that you’re taking when you’re using an investigational or off label use peptide. Now, quality control issues with BPC also exist. It’s not FDA approved for any indication in the US. It’s not approved in any major regulatory jurisdiction worldwide. It’s marketed as a research chemical explicitly to bypass FDA oversight. And commercial sources selling BPC-157 range from compounding pharmacies, which have some quality standards but are not FDA inspected. You can take that for what you want to believe on that one. to overseas suppliers operating with absolutely no quality assurance whatsoever. If you are choosing to use BPC-157, you have to understand who’s manufacturing it for you, where you are getting it from, how pure it is. Dr. Deb Muth 23:26You want to make sure that you have the certificate of analysis and that it does not contain bacterial endotoxins that can contaminate the peptide or degrade the peptide and cause other issues for you. So when you talk about peptides with patients regarding BPC-157 or if you’re listening to this and you’re already using BPC-157 or other peptides, that are quote-unquote not for human consumption, an evidence-based response acknowledges both the appeal and the limitations. And you want to talk about the animal data that’s definitely showing some progress and some potential, but we don’t know what we don’t know in humans. If people are willing to take that risk, that is up to them to do that. But using BPC right now is experimental and people need to be aware of that. Are there evidence-based alternatives for patients with tendon or ligament injuries? Dr. Deb Muth 24:26And there are. There’s PRP, which has been studied in multiple randomized controlled trials. for conditions like lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow, Achilles issues, patellar issues, knee issues. However, I want to caution you on this too. So the study that was done by Cox and colleagues in muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the Journal of 2014 showed modest benefits in pain and function compared to controls. And though the effects vary by injury type, PRP preparations can be helpful. You have to understand that a lot of times when people are doing PRP injections in their office, they are not doing it exactly the same way it was done in the study. And not to mention, if you’re using your own PRP to heal a ligament or a tendon or help your arthritis and you’re 60 or 70 years old, That is not good quality protein rich plasma. It is old protein rich plasma. And you’re not going to see necessarily the same benefits that you would see if you were using placental tissue or umbilical tissue. Dr. Deb Muth 25:33You also want to address the nutritional deficiencies or support that’s needed for connective tissue healing. And these are collagen peptides dosed at 15 grams a day. And this has been shown in a study by Shaw and colleagues in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2017 to augment collagen synthesis when combined with intermittent loading. Vitamin C is also an essential cofactor for collagen production and stabilization of collagen structure at a dose of around 500 to 1000 milligrams a day to support this process. You also need to have good adequate intake of copper and zinc. These are cofactors in collagen. Silica is also important. This comes from horsetail extract. This provides additional support as well. So more importantly, I think remembering that rehabilitation matters as well. Doing these protocols without doing some rehab is not going to get you where you want to go. Dr. Deb Muth 26:33There’s a research study by Alfredson and others for Achilles tendinopathy using the control lengthening of muscle tendon units under load to promote tendon remodeling and healing. These protocols have solid evidence and cost nothing beyond professional guidance from a physical therapist. They are important for patients seeking cutting edge regenerative approaches. Stem cell therapies, growth factors, concentrates derived from patients’ own tissues like PRP. These have a lot of good endogenous materials and they have good safety profiles. BPC-157 represents the perfect example of how promising Preclinical science gets marketed far beyond the evidence and it may eventually prove to be valuable. I think it will. But right now that determination does require some human studies and hopefully with the administration that we have right now and Bobby Kennedy, we will actually start to see some of that occur. Now the next peptide I want to talk about is TB4, thymus and beta-4. Dr. Deb Muth 27:36This is a wound healing peptide. It is a 43 amino acid peptide that’s naturally present in virtually all human cells except red blood cells. It’s actually one of the most abundant peptides in the human body, particularly concentrated in blood platelets, wound fluid, and many tissues. It’s naturally ubiquity makes it mechanistically interesting. The body wouldn’t produce it in such abundance if it didn’t serve a function. So the primary role of TB4 involves building G-actin. It’s a form of monomeric actin. And it’s structural protein that forms the microfilaments within the cells, providing cellular structure and enabling cell movement. TB4 prevents from F-actin filaments. I’m not going to talk too much about this. It’s really critical for wound healing as cells need to migrate into the injury sites. Dr. Deb Muth 28:37so the cell shape changes and the cellular response to the injury. So think of this as though you tore your meniscus and the body created all this TB4 to come to that injury to try to heal that site. That’s exactly what the TB4 is doing inside the body when there’s an injury. It’s been shown in research to help produce new blood vessel formation, promote endothelial cells, It helps modulate inflammatory cytokines, potentially reducing TNF-alpha, IL-1, and possibly protecting in programmed cell death, which we call apoptosis. And some studies suggest that it is cardioprotective in its effects in animal models of myocardial infarction, so heart attack, and neuroprotective in other models for brain injury. Now, these remain to be preliminary, but they are being seen. So the regulatory status on TB4 can create some confusion. Dr. Deb Muth 29:40The natural TB4 molecule itself is not FDA approved as a drug. However, TB4 based drug candidates called RGN259, formerly TB4, has been in the development by regen tree for corneal injuries of the dry eye disease. And as of recent updates, this drug is completed phase three trials for its neurotrophic keratopathy, severe corneal condition. But the FDA approval is still pending. So that means that the most advanced TB4-based pharmaceuticals hasn’t yet crossed the finish line for approval. The commercial peptide market further muddies the picture with TB500, which is often described as the synthetic fragment of TB4. However, this extract’s relationship between TB500 and TB4 varies depending on the source. Dr. Deb Muth 30:41So some claim that TB500 is identical to TB4, but positions 1 through 4 suggest it’s a different fragment. and the quality control across suppliers is not existent. So this confusion is part of why recommending TB500 becomes problematic for practitioners and patients, often because they aren’t certain what molecule they’re actually getting. The evidence base for TB4 in humans is limited, primarily to eye research, and the studies from Sohn’s and colleagues published in journals like Vitamins and Hormones in 2016 have examined topical TB4 for corneal injuries and neurotrophic keratopathy, dry eye, and other surface diseases. Now, these studies showed some promise in promoting this, and there is, however, a topical application to the cornea that is vastly different from a systemic injection. So for systemic use in wound healing, musculoskeletal issues, Dr. Deb Muth 31:42cardiac protection, neuroprotection, human clinical trials. There is scarce to non-existent evidence in humans. Most of the evidence remains in animal models or cell culture studies. And a review by Flip and colleagues in the Journal of Investigational Dermatology in 2006 detailed TB4’s effects on the matrix remodeling during wound repair in animal models, showing effects on collagen disposition, granulation, tissue reformation, and wound contraction. Another review by Ho and colleagues in expert opinion on biological therapy in 2007 discussed TB4’s potential in tissue regeneration and regenerative medicine, but noted the field remained largely blank. preclinical. So this is really important again to understand that there is just not enough human data. So there is a concern with cell division and migration. This theoretically exists Dr. Deb Muth 32:45for the potential effects on cancer cells, which would also rely on migration and division and other intended consequences of disrupting normal cellular architecture. These aren’t proven risks, but they are unexplored questions that we need to be aware of when we’re using peptides. This can cause cancerous tissue to grow. Very similar to what we talked about with BPC-157. These are also sold as research chemicals. There is no FDA oversight. So purity, potency, contaminations all still exist for these peptides. Now from an integrative perspective, the natural presence of TB4 in wound fluid and its biological roles in healing are legitimate science. in presence does not equal therapeutic utility. The body tightly regulates where and when and how much TB4 is present through natural production and bypassing that regulation with external dosing may or may not cause us to have beneficial or introduce risk. Dr. Deb Muth 33:49So we need to know that this is experimental use. Those people who are seeking wound healing and tissue repair the evidence-based approach of the body’s own capacity to heal is huge definitely want to be increasing your protein intake optimizing your zinc copper vitamin c and vitamin a and then managing glucose is really important during this time as well so let’s talk about a fun topic now and that’s growth hormone secretagogues this is the anti-aging hype machine these peptides in this category are things like semoralin ipameralin cjc 1220 1295 and others and among the most aggressively marketed in anti-aging and longevity medicine they all share a common goal stimulating the pituitary gland to release more growth hormone and the appeal is understandable. GH levels decline with age, and this decline is associated with increased fat mass, decreased lean muscle, reduced bone density, and other aspects of aging. Dr. Deb Muth 34:55The other times we’ll see growth hormone levels decline significantly is with chronic illness, and the logic is to restore youthful GH levels and youthful physiology. Now, semirelin from an FDA approved diagnostic to compound anti-aging product. Semirelin is a 29 amino acid peptide representing the first 29 amino acids of the full 44 amino acid human growth releasing hormone, GHRH. We talked about this on another episode of the podcast. And you can go back and listen to that one a little bit if you want. This fragment contains the complete biological activity of the full GHRH molecule and it binds to GHRH receptors in the anterior pituitary and stimulates growth releasing peptides, growth hormone releasing peptides. Semirelin was previously FDA approved as diagnostic testing of growth hormone secretion, essentially, to determine if the pituitary could still respond to GHRH stimulation in patients being evaluated for growth hormone deficiency. Dr. Deb Muth 36:06However, the manufacturer was discontinued and there was no longer an FDA approved semirelin product on the market in the United States. What exists now is semirelin available from compounding pharmacies used off label for anti-aging, body composition, and general growth hormone optimization purposes. This represents a significant gray area. Again, compounding medications serve a very important role, but they need to meet certain recommendations and regulations, as we’ve talked about in the past. You want to make sure that your compounding pharmacy that you’re obtaining semirelin from is qualified to do that, that they are doing best practices, and that you’re getting a good product. The theoretical advantage to semirelin over direct growth hormone administration is that it preserves more of the physiological growth hormone secretion patterns. Natural GH is released in pulses, primarily during sleep, not as a continuous elevation. Dr. Deb Muth 37:07So semirelin stimulates the pulses rather than providing a constant super physiological growth hormone level. And that pulsatile pattern is thought to reduce some of the side effects and metabolic concerns that we have with continuous growth hormone exposure. However, the evidence supporting semirelin for anti-aging and body composition in healthy adults is minimal. Most of the data comes from studies conducted in the 1990s when the FDA approved product existed. Not that that means it’s bad. We have drugs that have been in the market for over a hundred years that are still there, that still have the research and are still being used successfully and safely today. So we don’t want to let that really make us think that this product isn’t safe. So a 2006 review from Walker in Clinical Interventions of Aging suggested that semirelin might be a better approach than direct GH for adult onset growth hormone insufficiency, but they do acknowledge that the evidence was limited. Dr. Deb Muth 38:12And although we don’t have any large scale trials that we can examine for semirelin’s efficacy, it is now commonly prescribed. And the optimal dosing for anti-aging purposes is still unknown. It is considered experimental and it does vary from person to person, but it is still unstudied. The effects on cancer risk, cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction over long time periods are also still unknown. I would argue that the side effects or the risk factors of not having growth hormone are equally as bad as the unknowns that we have here. We’re not looking to try to get super physiological doses. We’re trying to restore youthful GH levels. Typically, we’re not trying to restore back to a 20-year-old. We’re trying to restore back maybe 10 years. That is a better way of doing this. And I think that’s important for people to understand. Now, ipamirelin is the ghrelin mimicker. Dr. Deb Muth 39:12Ipamirelin is a pent-up peptide, five amino acid, that acts as a growth hormone secretagogue receptor, a GHS-R agonist. It mimics the action of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, that also stimulates growth hormone release. The proposed advantage over earlier secretagogues is that ipamirelin stimulates growth hormone release without significantly affecting cortisol, prolactin, or other glucose things, which can be increased by growth hormone secretagogues. The regulatory status is clear. Ipamirelin is not FDA approved for any indication. It’s sold as a research chemical. Human evidence is thin. It’s limited to single dose studies examining how quickly it’s absorbed and metabolized with minimal data on dosing and clinical outcomes. Now there are marketing claims for ipamirelin and they are extensive. Dr. Deb Muth 40:13It increases lean muscle mass, it decreases body fat, it improves sleep quality, faster recovery from workouts, enhanced injury healing, better skin quality. The evidence supporting these claims in humans is not available we don’t have it these are claims that are made by the effects that we know from growth hormone so it’s not necessarily a bad thing we know what growth hormone does we know growth hormone does all of these things if ipamorelin is a precursor to that it will obviously help improve those things making that correlation of what growth hormone does So there are safety concerns that mirror the same as any other growth hormone elevating therapy. It can cause fluid retention, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and theoretically, can it increase calcium? cancer risks? It can because IGF-1 promotes cell proliferation and can inhibit apoptosis in cancer cells. Now remember, your body makes IGF-1. Dr. Deb Muth 41:15If it’s not making enough of it, that’s a problem. If it’s making too much of it, That’s a problem. So just understand that if you are adding these things, and especially in elevated doses, you are taking a potential risk. So there is also now CJC 1295 is a modified GHRH analog of 30 amino acid peptide based on GHRH structure, but with modifications. So it includes the addition of drug affinity complex, DACC, DAC, which involves conjugation with a small albumin binding molecule, dramatically extends the peptide’s half-life from minutes to as much as potentially a week or more. And this creates sustained growth hormone elevation rather than that pulsatile release. There are actually two versions of this. There’s CJC 1295 with DAC, longer acting version, and CJC 1295 without DAC, which is essentially a shorter duration of semirelin. Dr. Deb Muth 42:19And so when we’re comparing products, it is… only the difference between long acting and short acting. The human evidence for CJC 1295 is limited to a single published phase one study by Techman and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism in 2006. And the study involves 18 healthy young adults showed that CJC 1295 with DAC produced a sustained elevation of GH and IGF-1 lasting several days after the injection. That’s essentially the entire published human evidence of this peptide. There are no phase two studies examining optimal dose. So that is all considered experimental. And there is no phase three studies examining clinical efficacy. So the sustained GH levels created by CJC 1295 with DAC raises specific concerns because the natural GH secretion It goes up and down, up and down, up and down. Dr. Deb Muth 43:19And that constant elevation may have a different metabolic and cellular effect. And we just really don’t know what that’s going to be yet. So we can understand that elevated IGF-1 levels can theoretically increase cancer concerns and metabolic risks. So rather than always injecting peptides, which are very expensive… You can do other things. And there was a study by Hartman and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism in 1992 that demonstrated the 48-hour fast increased integrated growth hormone secretion five-fold through increased GH levels. Now, the problem with this is fasting for 48 hours is a challenge. And how long is it going to increase the growth hormone secretion without causing issues? Or in general, how long is it going to go up? Dr. Deb Muth 44:19So we have to be cautious about that as well. Sleep optimization is non-negotiable. The majority of growth hormone secretion occurs during sleep, slow wave sleep, typically the first sleep cycle, and poor sleep quality or insufficient sleep typically. can dramatically affect your growth hormone levels. And then high intensity interval training, HIIT resistance training can stimulate growth hormone as well. This was seen in a study by Godfrey and colleagues in sports medicine in 2003 and was examined in exercise-induced growth hormone responses to athletes. So we definitely see these kinds of things. So let’s talk about some longevity peptides now. These expand the telomere. So there’s epitalin and epithalamin and when these are used in anti-aging they can produce some amazing results. Dr. Deb Muth 45:22So epitalin is a synthetic terapeptide, just four amino acids. It was originally synthesized as a simplified version of epithalamine. a pineal gland extract containing multiple peptides. The synthetic four amino acid version was created to isolate what researchers believed might be the active anti-aging component. The mechanism produced for epitalin centers on telomere and telomerase, Telomeres are protective caps at the end of the chromosomes consisting of repetitive DNA sequencing. And every time a cell divides, telomeres shorten slightly because DNA polymers cannot fully replicate the ends of the linear chromosomes. So this progressive shortening acts as a molecular clock. After 50 or 70 divisions, the telomeres become critically short, triggering a cellular senescence. Dr. Deb Muth 46:22This telomere shortening is one mechanism of cellular aging and telomeres in the enzyme that can rebuild telomeres by adding these caps back onto the end of the chromosome. It’s active in stem cells, germ cells, and unfortunately in about 85 to 90% of the cancer cells. In most adult somatic cells, telomerase is inactive or present at very low levels, allowing the telomeres to shorten with division. The research on epitalin suggests it might activate this telomeres act telomeres process primarily from a research group led by Vladimir in Russia. Vladimir Kavasan in Russia. He is a huge peptide researcher or was he passed away with publications dating back to the early 2000s and a study published in bio gerontology in 2000 by Kavasan Dr. Deb Muth 47:25and colleagues examined the effect of epitalin on the lifespan of fruit flies, and they treated fruit flies that showed a modest increase in mean and maximum lifespan compared to its controls by approximately 10 to 15% lifespan extension in some experimental groups. And there were other studies in 2003 that examined epitalamine in a female Swiss-derived mouse. This was done by Ann Simove and colleagues. And the researchers reported that epitalin treatment was associated with increased lifespan as well. And the most cited mechanistic work comes from cell culture studies. And that is also Cavason’s group that published this research in 2003, showing increased telomeres activity in cultured somatic cells again. More recently, between 20 and 25, the series of publications have continued to explore epithelial effects on telomere dynamics in cell cultures. Dr. Deb Muth 48:32So there is a lot of research that’s been done. The mass majority has been done on epithelin. And most of it has been done by a single research group in Russia. There is some restrictions on some of the cell culture data that we’re seeing. And it does show that epithelin sometimes can be described as a regulating hormone. Carcadian rhythm for melatonin production, which is derived by the penile extracts. And however the evidence for this affects minimally and mechanistically unclear, the pineal gland primarily functions as melatonin secretion in that light-dark cycles. So Epithalin or epitalin is not FDA approved. It is not approved for any major regulatory jurisdiction. It is sold as a research chemical only. Dr. Deb Muth 49:33So you need to follow the same safety profiles that we’ve talked about in other episodes and in today’s episodes. And when we’re talking about epithalin, and we’re excited about it being an anti-aging science, we should balance this with the honesty and the evidence of the quality of that evidence. We don’t know its safety effect. We don’t know if it’s going to increase the risk of cancer. We can’t verify that. And we need to be using it in an experimental use of unknown risks only. Of course, diet, physical activity, stress management, sleep quality, all of those things are important for us to be looking at when we’re looking at these peptides. Now, I want to get into some of the brain peptides. This is the nootrophic frontier. C-Max and C-Lank, there is Russian pharmacology that’s done. C-Max and C-Lank represent an interesting case study in how different regulatory environments and research traditions Dr. Deb Muth 50:36create challenges in evaluating this evidence. Both peptides were developed in Russia, are approved for their specific indications and have substantial Russian language and literature supporting their use. However, the FDA approval in the United States is still not there. C-Max is a seven amino acid. It’s a synthetic analog. It is a fragment, particularly ACTH 4 through 10. It’s sometimes called the melanocortin effects because it involves the melanocortin receptors of the central nervous system. CMAX was developed by the Institute of Molecular Genetics of Russia Academy of Sciences and is approved in Russia for several indications, including acute stroke, transient ischemic attacks, cognitive disorders. It has Russian approval and is based on clinical trials primarily in Russia. Dr. Deb Muth 51:39It does help to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF, a protein critical for neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new connections and adapt to the challenges. BDNF supports neuronal survival and promotes growth of these new neurons. C-Max also influences neurotransmitter systems, particularly dopamine and serotonin, and there is some research that suggests it affects on metabolism as well, and endogenous opioid peptides that involve pain reception and mood regulation. So it has some good potentials there. There is also C-Link, which is a hepatopeptide structurally similar to Tufts’ and an immune modulatory peptide. It was also developed in Russia and was approved for anxiety disorders as a neurotropic. Its effects involve anxiolytic effects, possibly through the GABAnergic system or the GABA system of the brain, and immune modulation. Dr. Deb Muth 52:44The Russian research is examined by C-Link for anxiety disorders. and finding reductions in anxiety without sedation. There is a dependency potential or cognitive impairment does not exist like it does with benzodiazepines with C-Link. So that is really good. And they do report attention and memory improvement using C-Link. There is a study that was done in neuroscience and behavioral psychology in 2018 that examined C-Linx effects and proposed that it exerts cytoprotective effects through BDNF pathways similar to C-Max. So both of these are Russian research-based They’re not wrong or fraudulent. It’s just that they are from Russia and we all have our concerns with Russia. However, that does not necessarily mean their research doesn’t hold quality. Dr. Deb Muth 53:49Neither peptide is approved by the FDA, and so you are using this off-label. The same rules apply for all of the other peptides that we’ve talked about that are produced off label. You want to do the same things that you would do with anything else. Good protein, omegas, B vitamins, acetylcarnitine, exercise, sleep, all of that still applies when we’re using these peptides. So I want to talk briefly about clinical decision and framework when we’re looking at this. First and foremost, we always want to go to FDA-approved peptides. Secondly, we would look at international approval with peptides that are established in other countries but lack FDA approval. And then preclinical evidence only or experimental peptides. These can be used, but they are not ethically recommended in the traditional medicine world. Dr. Deb Muth 54:50 If patients use them, we need to have appropriate counseling about the evidence surrounding them, the safety, and where to find them. how to find them and how to ask for these certificates of analysis. So I think it’s really good that we were exploring all these peptides and understanding what they are. There’s a lot of controversy out there. There’s a lot of concern out there. And what we can say with confidence is that peptides are powerful biological signaling molecules. Some peptide based medications, semi-glutide, triseptide, PT 141, Lupron that are all FDA approved. can dramatically improve outcomes in patients that are obviously selected for the correct ones. There are many other peptides that we address that are integrative and longevity space in the regenerative medicine. These peptides are all experimental. That does not automatically make them wrong. Dr. Deb Muth 55:50It just means that we need to be honest about what we’re doing with them and we need to be cautious with the patients so that they can make a decision to be part of an experimental study. in looking at how to use these peptides. So peptides are tools like any other tools. They work best in the hands of skilled people, and they are applied to appropriate situations, integrating into comprehensive approaches that address root causes. The most powerful peptide administered to a patient with untreated inflammation, hormonal chaos, nutritional deficiencies, and disorders of sleep will disappoint. The simplest evidence-based interventions apply. to a patient whose foundational physiology has been optimized. And this is the art of the science of peptide, right? If done right, respecting both the power of these molecules and the complexity of human beings that we are privileged to serve can make a difference in their lives. So thank you for listening to this episode. Dr. Deb Muth 56:52I hope this was helpful. If you can know of somebody that might benefit from this, please like, share, and subscribe. It means a lot to us. And I hope you join us for our next episode of Let’s Talk Wellness Now. Welcome to Let’s Talk Wellness Now, where we bring expert insights directly to you. Please note that the views and information shared by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Let’s Talk Wellness Now, its management, or our partners. Each affiliate, sponsor, and partner is an independent entity with its own perspectives. Today’s content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered specific advice, whether financial, medical, or legal. While we strive to present accurate and useful information, we cannot guarantee its completeness or relevance to your unique circumstances. We encourage you to consult with a qualified professional to address your individual needs. Dr. Deb Muth 57:54Your use of information from this broadcast is entirely at your own risk. By continuing to listen, you agree to indemnify and hold Let’s Talk Wellness Now and its associates harmless from any claims or damages arising from the use of this content. We may update this disclaimer at any time and changes will take effect immediately upon posting or broadcast. Thank you for tuning in. We hope you find this episode both insightful and thought-provoking. Listener discretion is advised.The post Episode 258 – Investigational Peptides: What's Promising, What's Hype & What You Must Know first appeared on Let's Talk Wellness Now.
For this week's episode of the Clinician's Corner, we've gone into the archives to pull out another clinical pearl from one of our favorite episodes – a fascinating conversation with our beloved Medical Director, Dr. Chris Turnpaugh, where we discuss chronic infections, immune dysregulation, and detox strategies. This interview first aired early last year (2025), and the full interview can be viewed here. Clinical pearls we extracted from the original interview: Overview of chronic infections and the immune system The role of environmental toxins on the immune system/immune response Addressing toxic burden and supporting detoxification Various therapeutic interventions Lyme disease and Long Covid (and other complex client cases) Foundational immune support The Clinician's Corner is brought to you by the Institute of Restorative Health. Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/instituteofrestorativehealth/ Connect with Dr. Chris Turnpaugh: Website: TurnpaughHWC.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TurnpaughHWC/ Instagram: TurnpaughHealth Timestamps: 00:00 TH1 vs. TH2 Immunity Explained 03:32 "Reducing Toxic Burden Strategies" 08:19 "NAC: The Ultimate Supplement" 11:09 "Master Clinical Skills, Transform Lives" Speaker bio: Dr. Chris Turnpaugh is a practitioner and CEO at Turnpaugh Health, a Functional Medicine wellness center, which he founded in 1999. The center, one of the largest in the country, has grown to over 20 healthcare providers and a team of more than 50 in five locations. Turnpaugh Health provides in-depth holistic care focusing on functional medicine, investigating the mechanisms of dysfunction in patients. The clinic also provides integrative family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and many complementary wellness services. Over his twenty years in practice, Dr. Turnpaugh has joined ILADS and is known as a thought leader in Lyme disease and associated co-infections. He also traveled to Lake Como to participate on the PANDAS International board. He has a deep interest and extensive knowledge in pediatric neurological disorders and methods of supporting these children holistically. Dr. Turnpaugh has lectured on a broad variety of health topics, both nationally and internationally. His application of functional medicine as it relates to the neuro/endocrine/immune systems is a unique clinical approach to non-pharmacological treatments. He is well respected among his peers and patients as a provider and functional medicine instructor. He has treated thousands of patients in his practice and mentored hundreds of practitioners. His true passion is teaching functional medicine to other practitioners and helping patients to optimize their health. Keywords: functional health practitioners, clinical skills, chronic disease, restoring balance, chronic infections, immune system, TH1, TH2 dominance, autoimmunity, cancer, chemicals, pesticides, endocrine disrupting compounds, toxic burden, gut symptoms, liver, bile flow, digestion, nutrient supplementation, detoxification, sauna therapy, nasal spray, peptide therapy, liposomal glutathione, NAC, vitamin D, immune dysregulation, long Covid, post-treatment Lyme disease, food intolerances, chemical sensitivities, microbiome Disclaimer: The views expressed in the IRH Clinician's Corner series are those of the individual speakers and interviewees, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Institute of Restorative Health, LLC. The Institute of Restorative Health, LLC does not specifically endorse or approve of any of the information or opinions expressed in the IRH Clinician's Corner series. The information and opinions expressed in the IRH Clinician's Corner series are for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. If you have any medical concerns, please consult with a qualified healthcare professional. The Institute of Restorative Health, LLC is not liable for any damages or injuries that may result from the use of the information or opinions expressed in the IRH Clinician's Corner series. By viewing or listening to this information, you agree to hold the Institute of Restorative Health, LLC harmless from any and all claims, demands, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with your participation. Thank you for your understanding.
In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (1-6-2021), PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by PWTorch's Tyler Sage to discuss AEW Dynamite “New Year's Smash” featuring Kenny Omega vs. Fenix for the AEW World Title followed by a big angle with Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows and The Young Bucks, Hikaru Shida vs. Abadon with an AEW World Title match, Wardlow vs. Jake Hager, Jon Moxley speaks, Sting aligns further with Darby Allin against Team Taz, Young Bucks & SCU vs. The Acclaimed & TH2, Cody Rhodes vs. Matt Sydal with a top rope splash by Snoop Dogg, and more with live callers and emails.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.
In this powerful interview with Dr. Chris Turnpaugh, we unpack what really happens when the immune system gets stuck in a chronic loop — and why so many women stay sick even after gut protocols, detoxes, antibiotics, antivirals, and “kill stacks.” We break down TH1 vs TH2 dominance, immune tolerance, microglial priming, mitochondrial burnout, perimenopause-triggered dysregulation, and why real healing requires restoring immune balance — not just treating symptoms or chasing pathogens. If you've felt “stuck,” sensitive to everything, or trapped in relapse cycles…this episode is your roadmap back to resilience. Connect with Dr. Turnpaugh: Web: https://turnpaughhwc.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Turnpaugh_Health *** CONNECT:
In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (11-25-2020), PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by Pro Wrestling Torch columnist and host of the “Wrestling Night in America” PWTorch Dailycast Greg Parks to analyze AEW Dynamite with live callers and emails. They discussed the build-up for Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega next week and thoughts on the latest steps Omega has taken to define his heel character, Hikaru Shida defends against Anna Jay, Chris Jericho & Jake Hager vs. SCU, Top Flight vs. TH2, Rey Fenix & Pac vs. The Butcher & The Blade, a Taz-Cody angle, Hangman Page vs. John Silver, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.
In this episode of Tea with Dr D, host James Q. Del Rosso, DO, is joined by Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD, and later Lisa Swanson, MD, for a deep look at phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibition in dermatology, with a special focus on topical roflumilast. Dr Bunick opens with a primer on the science of PDE4, an enzyme that degrades cyclic AMP (cAMP), an intracellular messenger that regulates anti-inflammatory pathways. In conditions such as atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis, overactive PDE4 leads to reduced cAMP and amplified inflammation. By “gumming up” PDE4, roflumilast restores a more balanced, anti-inflammatory state. He explains why PDE4 inhibition is relevant across multiple inflammatory pathways, including Th1, Th2, and Th17, and why roflumilast has demonstrated stronger efficacy than earlier inhibitors like crisaborole. Molecularly, roflumilast mimics cyclic AMP's binding to PDE4 across 3 key sites, producing far tighter binding than apremilast and crisaborole, which translates to superior clinical potency. Dr Bunick illustrates this with a case of palmoplantar pustular psoriasis that cleared dramatically within 8 weeks on topical roflumilast after multiple biologic and corticosteroid failures, highlighting its durability and barrier-restoring properties. He and Dr Del Rosso contrast this with the limitations of chronic steroid use, noting that roflumilast supports long-term control without barrier compromise. The discussion also touches on vitiligo, where Dr Bunick shares an early case of repigmentation following roflumilast treatment, suggesting possible cAMP-mediated stimulation of melanogenesis. They highlight the molecule's innovative aqueous-based formulation, optimized for skin-compatible pH and excellent tolerability. In Part 2, Dr Swanson joins to discuss pediatric use. She reviews the 0.15% cream for AD in patients ≥6 years and the 0.05% cream for ages 2–5, both once-daily, steroid-free options that minimize burning and stinging compared with earlier PDE4 inhibitors. They review clinical data that demonstrate rapid itch relief, strong efficacy across IGA and EASI end points, and sustained control with twice-weekly maintenance. Tune in to hear how PDE4 inhibition, and particularly topical roflumilast, is redefining nonsteroidal therapy across age groups and disease states in dermatology.
Stress, trauma, and inflammation don't just affect your mind but also rewire your immune system. Justin Maguire explains how emotional wounds, environmental toxins, and hidden pathogens can keep your body stuck in a “cell danger response” that fuels chronic inflammation, autoimmunity, and fatigue.Justin's journey from childhood trauma and addiction to discovering his autoimmune condition and building Autonomic Coaching shows what's possible when science meets self-awareness. We explore how trauma imprints biology, how Th2 dominance reveals immune imbalance, and why redefining suffering can transform your physiology and healing potential.In this conversation, Justin breaks down the cellular mechanisms behind inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, how your mindset shapes immune balance, and what real recovery looks like when mind, body, and spirit work together.“There is beauty in the trauma and pain of things. And their beauty is that you get to discover solutions not only for yourself but for those that you serve." - Justin MaguireSupport the show and get 50% off MCT oil with free shipping—just leave us a review on iTunes and let us know!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-beyond-the-norms/id1714886566 About Justin Maguire:Justin Maguire is an integrative health specialist and educator known for bridging biochemistry with consciousness. Through Autonomic Coaching, he helps people reverse chronic illness, balance immune dysfunction, and restore vitality by combining data-driven science with emotional and behavioral healing. His approach integrates immunometabolism, mitochondrial science, and trauma-informed therapy to rebuild health from the inside out.Connect with Justin Maguire:- Website: https://autonomiccoaching.com - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autonomic_coaching/ - Email: justin@autonomiccoaching.comConnect with Chris Burres:- Website: https://www.myvitalc.com/ - Website: http://www.livebeyondthenorms.com/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisburres/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@myvitalc - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisburres/
The immune clock starts earlier than we think ⏳
Co-hosts Ryan Piansky, a graduate student and patient advocate living with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and eosinophilic asthma, and Holly Knotowicz, a speech-language pathologist living with EoE who serves on APFED's Health Sciences Advisory Council, interview Dr. Andrew Lee, Vice President, Clinical Research at Uniquity Bio, about Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP) and eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE). Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is designed to support, not replace, the relationship between listeners and their healthcare providers. Opinions, information, and recommendations shared in this podcast are not a substitute for medical advice. Decisions related to medical care should be made with your healthcare provider. Opinions and views of guests and co-hosts are their own. Key Takeaways: [:49] Co-host Ryan Piansky introduces the episode, brought to you thanks to the support of Education Partners Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, Sanofi, Regeneron, and Takeda. Ryan introduces co-host Holly Knotowicz. [1:13] Holly introduces today's topic, Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP) and eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE), and today's guest, Dr. Andrew Lee, Vice President, Clinical Research at Uniquity Bio. [1:36] Dr. Lee has nearly 20 years of experience in the clinical development of new vaccines, biologics, and drugs. Holly welcomes Dr. Lee. [1:52] Dr. Lee trained in internal medicine and infectious diseases. [1:58] Dr. Lee has been fascinated by the immune system and how it can protect people against infections, what happens when immunity is damaged, as in HIV and AIDS, and how to apply that knowledge to boost immunity with vaccines to prevent infections. [2:16] Dr. Lee led the clinical development for a pediatric combination vaccine for infants and toddlers. It is approved in the U.S. and the EU. [2:29] Dr. Lee led the Phase 3 Program for a monoclonal antibody to prevent RSV, a serious infection in infants. That antibody was approved in June 2025 for use in the U.S. [2:44] In his current company, Dr. Lee leads research into approaches to counteract an overactive immune system. They're looking at anti-inflammatory approaches to diseases like asthma, EoE, and COPD. [2:58] Dr. Lee directs the ongoing Phase 2 studies that they are running in those areas. [3:28] Dr. Lee sees drug development as a chance to apply cutting-edge research to benefit people. He trained at Bellevue Hospital in New York City in the 1990s. [3:40] When Dr. Lee started as an intern, there were dedicated ICU wards for AIDS patients because many of the sickest patients were dying of AIDS and its complications. [3:52] Before the end of Dr. Lee's residency, they shut down those wards because the patients were on anti-retroviral medications and were doing so well that they were treated as outpatients. They didn't need dedicated ICUs for AIDS patients anymore. [4:09] For Dr. Lee, that was a powerful example of how pharmaceutical research and drug regimen can impact patients' lives for the better by following the science. That's what drove Dr. Lee to go in the direction of research. [4:48] Dr. Lee explains Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP). TSLP serves as an alarm signal for Type 2 or TH2 inflammation, a branch of the immune responses responsible for allergic responses and also immunity against parasites. [5:17] When the cells that line the GI tract and the cells that line the airways in our lungs receive an insult or an injury, they get a danger signal, then they make TSLP. [5:28] This signal activates other immune cells, like eosinophils and dendritic cells, which make other inflammatory signals or cytokines like IL-4, IL-13, and IL-5. [5:47] That cascade leads to inflammation, which is designed to protect the body in response to the danger signal, but in some diseases, when there's continued exposure to allergens or irritants, that inflammation goes from being protective to being harmful. [6:15] That continued inflammation, over the years, can lead to things like the thickened esophagus with EoE, or lungs that are less pliant and less able to expand, in respiratory diseases. [6:48] Dr. Lee says he thinks of TSLP as being a master switch for this branch of immune responses. If you turn on TSLP, that turns on a lot of steps that lead to generating an allergic type of response. [7:06] It's also the same type of immune response that can fight off parasite infections. It's the first step in a cascade of other steps generating that type of immune response. [7:30] Dr. Lee says people have natural genetic variation in the genes that incur TSLP. [7:38] Observational studies have found that some people with genetic variations that lead to higher levels of TSLP in their bodies had an increased risk for allergic inflammatory diseases like EoE, atopic dermatitis, and asthma. [8:13] Studies like the one just mentioned point to TSLP being important for increased risk of developing atopic types of diseases like EoE and others. There's been some work done in the laboratory that shows that TSLP is important for activating eosinophils. [8:38] There's accumulating evidence that TSLP activation leads to eosinophil activation, other immune cells, or white blood cells getting activated. [9:07] Like a cascade, those cells turn on T-cells and B-cells, which are like vector cells. They lead to direct responses to fight off infections, in case that's the signal that leads to the turning on TSLP. [9:48] Ryan refers to a paper published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology exploring the role of TSLP in an experimental mouse model of eosinophilic esophagitis. Ryan asks what the researchers were aiming to find. [10:00] Dr. Lee says the researchers were looking at the genetic studies we talked about, the observational studies that are beginning to link more TSLP with more risk for EoE and those types of diseases. [10:12] The other type of evidence that's accumulating is from in vitro (in glass) experiments or test tube experiments, where you take a couple of cells that you think are relevant to what's going on. [10:28] For example, you could get some esophageal cells and a couple of immune cells, and put TSLP into the mix, and you see that TSLP leads to activation of those immune cells and that leads to some effects on the esophageal cells. [10:42] Those are nice studies, but they're very simplified compared to what you can do in the body. These researchers were interested in extending those initial observations from other studies, but working in the more realistic situation of a mouse model. [11:00] You have the whole body of the mouse being involved. You can explore what TSLP is doing and model a disease that closely mimics what's happening with EoE in humans. [12:23] They recreated the situation of what seems to be happening in EoE in people. We haven't identified it specifically, but there's some sort of food allergen in patients with EoE that the immune system is set off by. [12:55] What researchers are observing in this paper is that in these mice that were treated with oxazolone, there is inflammation in the esophagus, an increase in TSLP levels, and eosinophils going into the esophageal tissues. [13:15] Dr. Lee says, that's one of the main ways we diagnose EoE; we take a biopsy of the esophagus and count how many eosinophils there are. Researchers saw similar findings. The eosinophil count in the esophageal tissues went way up in these mice. [13:34] Researchers also saw other findings in these mice that are very similar to EoE in humans, such as the esophageal cells lining the esophagus proliferating. They even saw that new blood vessels were being created in that tissue that's getting inflamed. [14:00] Dr. Lee thinks it's a very nice paper because it shows that correlation: Increase TSLP and you see these eosinophils going to the esophagus, and these changes that are very reminiscent of what we see in people with EoE. [14:51] In this paper, the mice made the TSLP, and researchers were able to measure the TSLP in the esophageal tissue. The researchers didn't introduce TSLP into the mice. The mice made the TSLP in response to being repeatedly exposed to oxazolone. [15:20] That's key to the importance of the laboratory work. The fact that the TSLP is made by the mice is important. It makes it a very realistic model for what we're seeing in people. [15:41] In science, we like to see correlation. The researchers showed a nice correlation. [15:46] When TSLP went up in these mice, and the mice were making more TSLP on their own, at the same time, they saw all these changes in the esophagus that look a lot like what EoE looks like in people. [16:01] They saw the eosinophils coming into the esophagus. They saw the inflammation go up in the esophagus. What Dr. Lee liked about this paper is that they continued the story. [16:15] The researchers took something that decreases TSLP levels, an antibody that binds to and blocks TSLP, and when they did that, they saw the TSLP levels come down to half the peak level. [16:35] Then they saw improvement in the inflammation in the esophagus. They saw that the amount of eosinophils decreased, and the multiplication of the esophageal cells went down. The number of new blood vessels went down after the TSLP was reduced. [16:53] Dr. Lee says, you see correlation. The second part is evidence for causation. When you take TSLP away, things get better. That gives us a lot of confidence that this is a real finding. It's not just observational. There is causation evidence here. [18:26] Ryan asks if cutting TSLP also help reduce other immune response cells. Dr. Lee says TSLP is the master regulator for this Type 2 inflammation. It definitely touches and influences other cells besides eosinophils. [18:44] TSLP affects dendritic cells, which are an important type of immune cell, like a coordinating cell that instructs other cells within the immune system what to do. In this paper, they looked at a lot of other effects of TSLP on the tissues of the body. [19:10] Dr. Lee says, There's a lot of research on TSLP, and one of the reasons we're excited about the promise of TSLP is that it's so far upstream; so much of the beginning, that it's affecting other cells. [19:29] Its effects could be quite broad. If we're able to successfully block TSLP, we could block a lot of different effects. [19:40] One treatment for EoE is dupilumab, which blocks IL-4 and IL-13 specifically, and that works well, but TSLP has the potential to have an even greater effect than blocking IL-4 and IL-13, since it is one step before turning on IL-4 and IL-13. [20:14] That's one of the reasons researchers are excited about the promise of blocking TSLP. There are studies ongoing of TSLP blockers in people with EoE. [20:34] Ryan asks if there are negative repercussions from blocking TSLP. Dr. Lee says in this study and in people, we are not completely blocking TSLP by any means. There will still be residual TSLP activated, even with very potent drugs. [21:01] In the study, they block TSLP about 50%‒60%. TSLP is involved in immunity against parasites. In studies with people, they make sure not to include anybody who has an active parasitic infection. A person under treatment should not be in a study. [21:27] Dr. Lee says we haven't seen any problems with parasitic infections becoming more severe, but that is a theoretical possibility, so for that reason, in studies with TSLP blockers, we generally exclude patients with known parasitic infections. [22:17] What excited Dr. Lee in this paper was that they showed that when you block TSLP in the mice, then you get real effects in their tissues. Eosinophils went away. The thickening of the basal layers in the esophagus got much better. [22:38] That kind of real effect reflected in the tissue is super exciting to see. That gives us more confidence that this could work in people, since we're seeing it in a realistic whole-body model in the mice. [23:12] Dr. Lee says there are ongoing clinical studies on TSLP blockers for EoE. His company is studying an antibody that blocks TSLP in eczema, COPD, and EoE. One of the exciting things about immunology is that it affects many different parts of the body. [23:42] EoE is associated with other immune-type disorders. There's a high percentage of patients with EoE who have other diseases. EoE coexists with asthma, atopic dermatitis, and chronic rhinitis. [24:09] It's exciting that if you figure out something that's promising for one disease that TSLP affects, it could have very broad-ranging implications for a variety of diseases. [24:22] Ryan shares his experience of his doctor talking to him about a TSLP blocker, tezepelumab, as a potential option when it's out of clinical trials. It would target something a little higher up the chain and help with some of his remaining symptoms. [24:59] Ryan is excited to hear that this research is so encouraging and how it could potentially help treat EoE, asthma, and other conditions, all at once. [25:16] Dr. Lee says that being in these later-stage studies is super exciting. If these late-stage trials are successful, the next step is to apply for regulatory approval with the various agencies around the world. [26:40] Dr. Lee shares one takeaway for listeners to remember. Think of TSLP as an alarm that turns on inflammation. He compares TSLP to turning on an alarm during a robbery. There are multiple steps designed to protect the bank and the money. [27:20] To extend that analogy, with TSLP, once you turn it on, all these other steps are going to happen. Inflammation is designed to protect the body. It's a protective response. If there's an infection, it can clear the infection. [27:38] If the infection persists, as in HIV, the immune response, which is protective and beneficial, eventually becomes damaging. It becomes dysfunctional. In EoE, if you continually eat the allergic food, the inflammation becomes damaging to the esophagus. [28:27] Long-term inflammation leads to replacing the normal esophageal tissue with fibrotic tissue, and that's why the esophagus eventually gets hardened and less able to let the food go through. [28:40] In respiratory diseases, the soft tissue of the lung gets replaced with thicker tissue, and the lung is not able to expand. [28:54] Dr. Lee says he people to think about TSLP as this master alarm switch. We hope that if you could turn off that TSLP, you could then avoid a lot of the complications that we see with chronic inflammation in these conditions. [29:14] We're hopeful that you could even take away the symptoms that you see in these diseases, make patients feel better, and with extended treatment, you could begin to reverse some of the damage resulting from inflammation. [29:32] Ryan likes that analogy and how Dr. Lee has concisely explained these complicated concepts. [29:51] Dr. Lee thanks Holly and Ryan and adds one more plea to listeners. Please consider getting involved with research. Clinical trials cannot be done without patients. We need patients to advance new treatments. [30:27] Researchers like Dr. Lee spend a lot of time thinking about how to make the studies not only informative but also fair to patients who decide to become involved. It's a lot of work and a fair amount of time commitment. [30:44] If you don't want to be in a study, you can help by being on a patient feedback panel and reviewing protocols and informed consents. Follow your interests. Think about getting involved with research, however you can. [31:06] Ryan and Holly are very grateful for the community, with so many wonderful clinicians and researchers, and so many patients who are willing to volunteer their time and their data to help researchers find better solutions going forward. [31:26] Ryan thanks Dr. Lee for coming on and putting out that call to action. It's a great reminder for listeners and the patients in the community to look for those opportunities. Chat with your physician. Go to APFED's website. There's a link to active clinical trials. [31:47] For our listeners who want to learn more about eosinophilic disorders, we encourage you to visit apfed.org and check out the links in the show notes below. [31:53] For those looking to find specialists who treat eosinophilic disorders, we encourage you to use APFED's Specialist Finder at apfed.org/specialist. [32:01] If you'd like to connect with others impacted by eosinophilic diseases, please join APFED's online community on the Inspire Network at apfed.org/connections. [32:11] Ryan thanks Dr. Andrew Lee for joining us today. We learned a lot. Holly also thanks APFED's Education Partners Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, Sanofi, Regeneron, and Takeda for supporting this episode. Mentioned in This Episode: Andrew Lee, M.D., VP Clinical Research, Uniquity Bio "A Mouse Model for Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)" Current Protocols, Wiley Online Library APFED on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram Real Talk: Eosinophilic Diseases Podcast apfed.org/specialist apfed.org/connections apfed.org/research/clinical-trials Education Partners: This episode of APFED's podcast is brought to you thanks to the support of Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, Sanofi, Regeneron, and Takeda. Tweetables: "I see drug development as a chance to apply cutting-edge research to benefit people." — Andrew Lee, M.D. "When the cells that line the GI tract and the cells that line the airways in our lungs receive an insult or an injury, they get a danger signal, then they make TSLP." — Andrew Lee, M.D. "Observational studies have found that some people with genetic variations that lead to higher levels of TSLP in their bodies had an increased risk for allergic inflammatory diseases like EoE, atopic dermatitis, and asthma." — Andrew Lee, M.D. "There's a lot of research on TSLP, and one of the reasons we're excited about the promise of TSLP is that it's so far upstream; so much of the beginning, that it's affecting other cells." — Andrew Lee, M.D. "Please consider getting involved with research. We can't do these clinical trials without patients. We need patients to advance new treatments for patients." — Andrew Lee, M.D.
We are not talking about gluten, dairy, sugar, or even leaky gut. We're talking about the silent saboteurs—the things that are messing with your gut health every single day... and no one's warning you about them.Join the 60 Day gut reset and transform your health! $200OFF with code 'SECRETOFFER! https://checkout.teachable.com/secure/1716725/checkout/order_q9s5bzn3?coupon_code=SECRETOFFERINSTA: @wholistichomeopath
#56. Ting som nevnes i denne episoden: aktivering av T- og B-celler. Effektorceller versus hukommelsesceller. Th1 vs Th2 vs Th17 vs. follikulære T-hjelpeceller. CD40 og CD40 ligand (CD40L). Antistoffproduserende celler (plasmablaster og plasmaceller). Opsonisering. Antistoffavhengig cellemediert cytotoksisitet (ADCC). Komplementmediert cytotoksisitet (CDC).Tredje sesong er muliggjort gjennom et stipend fra Norsk revmatologisk forening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
There's been a lot of talk about allergy symptoms becoming more severe over the last few years. What is contributing to this change? And more importantly, what can we do to control our environments and help support our bodies' immune systems? Our guest today is double-board certified physician and allergist, Dr. Tania Elliot. She's joining us for an insightful conversation on allergies and immunology. You're going to learn what allergies are and how they develop, why there's an explosion of allergies happening right now, and what the main root cause is. Dr. Elliot is going to unpack how to reduce allergy exposures and how your immune system works when allergens are present. You're also going to learn practical tips for optimizing your environment, including air quality, sleep practices, and how to travel as healthily as possible. Dr. Tania Elliot is a leading authority in this subject matter, and I know you're going to love this episode of The Model Health Show. Enjoy! In this episode you'll discover: What Dr. Elliot's driving force for becoming a doctor was. (7:45) Why working in allergy and immunology is like being a detective. (9:57) What an allergy actually is. (11:59) The connection between allergies, autoimmunity, and inflammation. (12:27) Three main reasons why allergies are more prevalent today. (12:46) The interesting role of Th2 cells. (14:39) How c-section deliveries impact the baby's immune system. (16:25) Why peanut allergies have become more common. (18:34) What a histamine reaction is. (22:10) The difference between Th1 cells and Th2 cells. (22:18) What super pollen is. (24:32) How our indoor microbiome can influence allergies. (25:18) The 3 main things Dr. Elliot would never order in a restaurant. (29:24) What to avoid if you struggle with indoor allergies. (34:03) Why you should never let your pets on your bed. (36:20) What to avoid in a hotel room for better health. (38:33) The best sleep-supportive supplements. (43:49) How the humidity level in your bedroom affects allergies. (45:03) What the first line of treatment against allergies is. (46:45) Which foods have the highest histamine levels. (50:34) Items mentioned in this episode include: Foursigmatic.com/model - Get an exclusive discount on your daily health elixirs! Myessentia.com/model - Get a discount on organic, supportive mattresses! Healthy Home Guide - Read Dr. Tania Elliot's e-book! Connect with Dr. Tania Elliot Website / Substack / Instagram Be sure you are subscribed to this podcast to automatically receive your episodes: Apple Podcasts Spotify Soundcloud Pandora YouTube This episode of The Model Health Show is brought to you by Four Sigmatic and Essentia. Visit foursigmatic.com/model to get an exclusive discount on mushroom and adaptogen-packed blends to improve your life. Essentia makes the best performance certified non-toxic mattresses. Get a discount on any organic mattress when you use my link, myessentia.com/model.
Should you really trust the vaccine schedule? In this episode of the Awake & Winning Podcast, Kaylor sits down with Dr. Taylor Bean—a licensed naturopathic doctor, vaccine educator, and founder of VaccineOptimization.com—who's known for her nuanced, evidence-based approach to vaccine education and immune system support. With over a decade of clinical experience, Dr. Bean is on a mission to help parents make informed, empowered decisions about their health and their children's. From a Love Island dating story to a masterclass on infant immunity, this episode unpacks the real mechanisms behind vaccines, the role of aluminum, and why the current vaccine schedule doesn't align with infant physiology. If you've ever questioned mainstream medicine or felt gaslit in a doctor's office, this conversation is your permission to ask better questions and explore better answers. Episode Highlights: vaccines, aluminum in vaccines, informed consent, infant immunity, pharmaceutical risk, root cause medicine, public health, naturopathic medicine, immune development, medical coercion, childhood illness, alternative vaccine schedules Takeaways: Why aluminum is more concerning than mercury in vaccines The truth about infant immunity and TH2 dominance Why breastfeeding plays a vital role in immunity development The flaws in the vaccine schedule tied to maternal work policies How to support the immune system pre and post-vaccine Why functional medicine offers better viral care than conventional The importance of informed consent over fear-based compliance If you enjoyed the episode, please be sure to take a screenshot and share it out on Instagram and tag @thekaylorbetts. Also, please make sure to give us a review and a five star rating if you're loving what we are doing! _____________________________ RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drtaylorbean/ Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/drtaylorbean Websites | https://drtaylorbean.com/ https://taylormadewellness.com/ https://vaccineoptimization.com/ _____________________________ SPONSORS: Truly Tallow | https://www.trulytallow.com/ Use code “SUNNYBALLS10” at checkout for 10% off your order The Wellness Company | https://www.twc.health/collections/signature/products/ultimate_spike_detox Use code “WINNING” at checkout for 10% off your order _____________________________ IMPORTANT UPDATES: Check out the Awake & Winning Website | https://awakeandwinning.com/ Join the Awake & Winning Life AW-cademy | https://theawlife.com/ Join the Awake & Winning Business AW-cademy | https://theawbiz.com Join the Awake & Winning POD-cademy | http://yourwinningpodcast.com/ Follow Kaylor on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thekaylorbetts/ Join Kaylor's Newsletter | https://awakeandwinning.lpages.co/optin/
In this special episode of the RWS Clinician's Corner, we have the privilege of hosting Dr. Chris Turnpaugh, a renowned figure in the field of functional medicine and the medical director of Restorative Wellness Solutions. Dr. Turnpaugh delves into the critical relationship between toxin exposure and susceptibility to infectious diseases such as Lyme and Long Covid. He shares groundbreaking insights on how the accumulation of environmental toxins can shift immune responses, potentially increasing vulnerability to infections, as well as offering strategies to support detoxification, adjust immune system balance, and improve overall resilience. Whether you're a seasoned functional health practitioner or just delving into this field, the clinical pearls Dr. Turnpaugh shares in this episode provide a vital understanding of how to tackle complex health challenges in today's increasingly toxic world. In this interview, we discuss: - Increased susceptibility to chronic infections due to environmental toxins and the influence of toxins on TH2 dominance in the immune system - Testing options and how to address complex client cases - Strategies for addressing toxic burden (e.g., detoxification, supplementation, etc.) - Prevention and maintenance strategies The Clinician's Corner is brought to you by Restorative Wellness Solutions. Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/restorativewellnesssolutions/ Connect with Dr. Chris Turnpaugh: Website: TurnpaughHWC.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TurnpaughHWC/ Instagram: TurnpaughHealth Timestamps: 00:00 "Linking Toxin Burden to Infections" 05:00 Chemicals Weaken Immune Response 09:06 Decreased Resilience to Modern Stressors 12:22 Chemical Exposure in Daily Life 14:14 Exploring Tailored Detox Strategies 16:55 Challenges in Treating Fragile Patients 21:44 Hormone Health: Reducing Toxic Burden 24:55 Chronic Illness Resolutions Compared 28:00 Root-Cause Health Training Program 29:16 "Symptom Differentiation in Clinical Process" 34:44 Digital PCR for Bartonella Testing 35:29 Understanding Post-Infection Symptoms 38:42 "Fish vs. Digital PCR Testing" 42:24 Balancing Tregs and Th1/Th2 46:59 Preventive Health: Balancing the Immune System 48:26 Essential Desert Island Supplement: NAC 54:16 Understanding Patient Conditions and Treatment Priorities 56:39 "Clinician's Corner Podcast Highlights" Speaker bio: Dr. Chris Turnpaugh is a practitioner and CEO at Turnpaugh Health, a Functional Medicine wellness center, which he founded in 1999. The center, one of the largest in the country, has grown to over 20 healthcare providers and a team of more than 50 in five locations. Turnpaugh Health provides in-depth holistic care focusing on functional medicine, investigating the mechanisms of dysfunction in patients. The clinic also provides integrative family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and many complementary wellness services. Over his twenty years in practice, Dr. Turnpaugh has joined ILADS and is known as a thought leader in Lyme disease and associated co-infections. He also traveled to Lake Como to participate on the PANDAS International board. He has a deep interest and extensive knowledge in pediatric neurological disorders and methods of supporting these children holistically. Dr. Turnpaugh has lectured on a broad variety of health topics, both nationally and internationally. His application of functional medicine as it relates to the neuro/endocrine/immune systems is a unique clinical approach to non-pharmacological treatments. He is well respected among his peers and patients as a provider and functional medicine instructor. He has treated thousands of patients in his practice and mentored hundreds of practitioners. His true passion is teaching functional medicine to other practitioners and helping patients to optimize their health. Keywords: Restorative Wellness Clinicians Corner, functional health professionals, functional medicine, toxin burden, infectious diseases, chronic infections, TH1 and TH2 immune system, Lyme disease, Long Covid, autoimmune conditions, root cause medicine, total tox burden, detox pathways, environmental toxins, mold exposure, Cryptolepis, immune system balance, TH2 dominance, glutathione, NAC supplementation, environmental toxicity, reducing toxic exposure, tick bite prevention, laboratory testing, immune dysregulation, chronic illness recovery, viral infections, vitamin D, quercetin, microbiome health, detoxification Disclaimer: The views expressed in the RWS Clinician's Corner series are those of the individual speakers and interviewees, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Restorative Wellness Solutions, LLC. Restorative Wellness Solutions, LLC does not specifically endorse or approve of any of the information or opinions expressed in the RWS Clinician's Corner series. The information and opinions expressed in the RWS Clinician's Corner series are for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. If you have any medical concerns, please consult with a qualified healthcare professional. Restorative Wellness Solutions, LLC is not liable for any damages or injuries that may result from the use of the information or opinions expressed in the RWS Clinician's Corner series. By viewing or listening to this information, you agree to hold Restorative Wellness Solutions, LLC harmless from any and all claims, demands, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with your participation. Thank you for your understanding.
Description: Co-hosts Ryan Piansky, a graduate student and patient advocate living with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and eosinophilic asthma, and Holly Knotowicz, a speech-language pathologist living with EoE who serves on APFED's Health Sciences Advisory Council, interview Dr. Wayne Shreffler, Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology and Co-Director of The Food Allergy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Shreffler is also an investigator at The Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Disease and The Food Allergy Science Initiative. His research is focused on understanding how adaptive immunity to dietary antigens is both naturally regulated and modulated by therapy in the context of food allergy. This interview covers the results of a research paper on The Intersection of Food Allergy and Eosinophilic Esophagitis, co-authored by Dr. Shreffler. Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is designed to support, not replace the relationship that exists between listeners and their healthcare providers. Opinions, information, and recommendations shared in this podcast are not a substitute for medical advice. Decisions related to medical care should be made with your healthcare provider. Opinions and views of guests and co-hosts are their own. Key Takeaways: [:50] Co-host Ryan Piansky introduces the episode, brought to you thanks to the support of Education Partners Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, Sanofi, and Regeneron. Ryan introduces co-host, Holly Knotowicz. [1:15] Holly introduces today's topic, the intersection of food allergy and eosinophilic esophagitis. [1:26] Holly introduces today's guest, Dr. Wayne Shreffler, Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology and Co-Director of The Food Allergy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and an investigator at The Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Disease and The Food Allergy Science Initiative. [1:43] Dr. Shreffler's research is focused on understanding how adaptive immunity to dietary antigens is both naturally regulated and modulated by therapy in the context of food allergy. [1:54] Holly welcomes Dr. Shreffler to Real Talk. When Holly moved to Maine, she sent her patients to Dr. Shreffler at Mass General. [2:25] Dr. Shreffler trained in New York on a Ph.D. track. He was interested in parasitic diseases and the Th2 immune response. Jane Curtis, a program director at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, encouraged him to consider MD/PhD programs. He did. [3:31] Jane Curtis connected him to Hugh Sampson, who was working with others to help understand the clinical prevalence of food allergy and allergens. [3:51] As a pediatric resident, Dr. Shreffler had seen the burden of allergic disease, caring for kids in the Bronx with asthma. His interest in Th2 immunity, the clear and compelling unmet clinical need, and the problem of food allergy guided his career. [4:31] Dr. Shreffler's wife has food allergies and they were concerned for their children. Fortunately, neither of them developed food allergies. [5:21] Dr. Shreffler thinks the food allergy field has a lot of people who gravitate toward it for personal reasons. [5:53] Food allergy is an adverse response to food that is immune-mediated. There is still uncertainty about this but Dr. Shreffler believes that a large percentage of patients with EoE have some triggers that are food antigens. [6:27] The broad definition of food allergy would include things like food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). [6:47] The way we use the term food allergy in the clinic, there are two forms: IgE-mediated allergies and non-IgE-mediated allergies, including EoE. [7:40] Some patients have food-triggered eczema, some have FPIES. [8:04] In 2024, Dr. Shreffler and Dr. Caitlin Burk released a paper that looked at the triggers of EoE, particularly the intersection of IgE-mediated food allergy and EoE. [8:41] Dr. Caitlin Burk joined the group as they were publishing papers on IG food allergy and EoE. It was a moment where things unexpectedly came together. [9:17] Adaptive immunity to food proteins comes from antibodies that cause milk allergy, egg allergy, peanut allergy, or multiple allergies. The IgE has specificity. [9:40] T cells also are specific to proteins. They express a host of receptors that recognize almost anything the immune system might encounter. They have a long memory like B-cells. [10:09] The overlap in these two threads of research was regarding a population of T cells that are important for mediating chronic inflammation at epithelial sites, including the gut. [10:36] These T cells have been described in the airways in asthma, in the skin in eczema, and the GI tract. Researchers years ago had also described them as being associated with IgE food allergy. People with IgE food allergies avoid allergens. [11:13] T cells, being associated with chronic allergic inflammation, now being associated with food allergies which are not having chronic exposures to the allergen, was interesting and surprising. [11:30] Dr. Shreffler and his group found the T cell subset in patients who don't do well with Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) and patients who have EoE with immediate symptoms. [12:01] Dr. Shreffler notes differences. There are immediate symptoms of IgE food allergy. There is a subset of patients with EoE who have immediate symptoms that are not fully understood. Maybe IgE plays a role there. [12:28] There are different mechanisms for how symptoms are caused and so different ways of making a diagnosis. A food allergy with an IgE antibody can be measured through skin tests and blood tests. This can help identify which foods are the trigger. [12:57] This common T cell subset that we see in EoE and food allergy, helps to explain why IgE alone is not always a very specific marker for identifying people who will have immediate reactions when they're exposed to the food. [13:17] For patients who react at low levels, it's not just that they have more or better IgE but they also have an expansion of these T cells that are common between EoE and other chronic forms of allergy and IgE food allergy. [13:41] There's a lot to learn that might be relevant for patients about this T cell subset. [14:23] These T cells are a specific subset of the group of Th2 T cells, which are a subset of all CD4 T cells. Some CD4 T cells are important for responding to viruses and tumors. Others are important for responding to outside allergens. [15:01] In an allergy or a parasite infection, Th2 T cells are important. There is a subset of T cells that is driven by repetitive and chronic exposure to the triggering protein, antigen, or allergen. [15:47] Most antigens are proteins that trigger an immune response. An antigen that elicits an allergic response is an allergen. [16:30] A food trigger is a protein antigen that is an allergen. In IgE, food allergies, milk, and eggs are prevalent triggers early in life. For reasons not well understood, a lot of people outgrow them. In older patients, peanut and tree nut allergies are prevalent. [17:01] In EoE, milk is one of the most common dietary triggers into adulthood. Some patients with IgE allergy to milk can tolerate it if it's well cooked. Patients with EoE are less likely to be able to get away with regular and ongoing exposure to milk protein. [17:54] Milk, eggs, and nuts are common triggers in both conditions. There can also be rare food allergy triggers. That's part of the early evidence that the adaptive immune response was likely to be involved. It can be so specific for some people to rare things. [18:20] Hallmarks of something being immune-mediated are that it is reproducibly demonstrable as a trigger. It's going to be long-lived. It's going to be generally relatively small amounts. The immune system is good at detecting small exposures. [19:07] EoE is tricky because there's not that clear and easy temporal association between an offending allergen exposure for most people and their symptoms. People don't associate the symptoms with the triggers. [20:14] A history of having blood in the stools can be milk-allergen-driven and was associated with a diagnosis of EoE in those kids when they're older. [20:26] There are a lot of commonalities in the allergens but it's not always obvious clinically. [22:40] A challenge in diagnosing EoE is that providers have to be on guard against their biases. They have to give a patient good advice. In EoE there is no test to identify triggers, except rigorous introduction, elimination, reintroduction, and endoscopies. [24:18] For some of Dr, Shreffler's patients, it becomes less important to know their dietary triggers. They gravitate toward an approved form of treatment that may, if successful, allow them to have a more normal diet because of effective medication. [24:50] Dr. Shreffler thinks there are other triggers, including pollens. There is evidence of seasonality of active EoE in patients shown to have allergic sensitization to pollens. That's indirect evidence. If the body is making IgE, it's likely making other responses. [25:32] There are questions about how large the population of patients is who have EoE that may be more intrinsically than extrinsically driven because of genetic variations. [25:54] Dr. Shreffler believes that EoE in some patients is allergen-driven and in some patients EoE is food-driven. Food is a trigger for the majority of pediatric patients and a large percentage of adult patients but not necessarily the exclusive trigger. [27:04] If a patient is motivated to learn what dietary triggers may be at play, Dr. Shreffler often makes assessments outside of pollen season for allergens to which the patient has demonstrated positivity. [28:09] Looking at the epidemiology, both EoE and food allergy are atopic disorders. You see an increased prevalence of asthma, hay fever, eczema, and even allergic proctocolitis in infancy. You see an enrichment of one disorder to another. [28:29] The overlap of food allergy to EoE is stronger than you might expect. About 30 to 40% of patients with EoE will also have IgE food allergy. A higher rate will have IgE positivity, whether or not that food is a trigger of immediate symptoms. [28:48] Patients with food allergies are about four times more likely to have EoE than the general population. That's a stronger association than the risk of eczema or other atopic conditions to EoE. [30:09] There are differences between IgE food allergy and EoE. The presence of IgE gives a useful tool for identifying the food trigger in food allergy, but not in EoE. Identifying rare triggers in EoE patients is done by clinical observation. [31:46] Epinephrine and antihistamines are not useful in treating EoE. Blocking IgE with Omalizumab has not been effective in trials in treating EoE. PPIs, topical steroids, and dupilumab are helpful for many EoE patients. [32:38] Dupilumab has been evaluated a bit in food allergy in combination with OIT, and there was no statistically significant benefit from dupilumab in food allergy. [33:25] A group in Pennsylvania has been evaluating epicutaneous immunotherapy as a modality to treat EoE. It's also being evaluated for IgE food allergy. Dr. Shreffler thinks it's something to keep an eye on. [33:40] The oral route for immunotherapy can drive EoE for patients. As they become less sensitive from an immediate reactivity viewpoint, a significant percentage of patients develop GI symptoms. This has also been observed with sublingual therapy. [34:14] Iatrogenic EoE, caused by the treatment, may resolve on the cessation of the immunotherapy treatment. [36:25] Dr. Shreffler says in some cases, the shared decision is a decision where he has a strong evidence-based opinion. In some cases, there's a lot more room for a range of clinical decisions that could be equally supported by what we know right now. [36:57] We've said that EoE is a contraindication for OIT. There is a shift happening. Dr. Shreffler sits with families and has a conversation about restricting diet or trying chronic therapy and keeping an ad-lib diet. [37:38] What about doing the same thing by treating the immediate-type food allergy with chronic allergen exposure and then ameliorating the effects of EoE if it emerges, with another therapy? A hundred providers would have a diversity of responses. [38:19] When there is a history of EoE in a family, Dr. Shreffler advocates for getting a baseline scope. It becomes an important “ground zero.” [38:28] The goal is to have less invasive ways to monitor these conditions. [39:32] Chronic inflammation, which is the hallmark of EoE, is well-targeted by therapies like PPIs and steroids. Steroids don't help with IgE-related food allergies. They're not effective at blocking the IgE-driven immediate response. [41:13] Until recently, IgE food allergy has only been managed with avoidance. We have some other tools now. Xolair is not effective in EoE but is effective in two-thirds to three-quarters of patients with immediate-type food allergies for preventing anaphylaxis. [41:45] Dr. Shreffler refers to an upcoming study on the effectiveness of Xolair in treating people with food allergies. Those who were able to tolerate a minimum amount were allowed to begin consuming allergen. We'll get insight into how those patients did. [43:08] Food-induced immediate response of the esophagus (FIRE) is immediate discomfort with exposure to some allergens. Dr. Shreffler explains it. Data supports that these patients are experiencing an IgE-mediated but local response to those triggers. [44:59] If FIRE is IgE-mediated, it may be that Xolair would help suppress it in these patients. It's worth looking at Xolair for this subset of EoE patients. [45:20] Ryan invites any listeners who want to learn more about FIRE to check out episode #34 with Dr. Nirmala Gonsalvez. [45:37] In the paper, Dr. Shreffler wrote about what he hopes will be the practical usefulness of the finding, the intersection between IgE food allergy and EoE. [45:56] A subset of Th2 T cells express a protein called GPR15. It appears to be a marker for the subset of cells that are playing a role in the EoE. [46:36] Caitlin Burk's work now is looking at their activation status in active disease and post-diet elimination and remission. She is developing a data set that is leading us toward the possibility of focusing on that cell subset and techniques to adopt in clinics. [47:12] She is also working out more advanced techniques to look at the receptors. Dr. David Hill at CHOP is working on similar research. This research has the potential to lead to the development of better tests for EoE. [47:44] Holly tells Dr. Shreffler this has been such an informative episode with so many tidbits of things to help patients advocate for themselves. Holly thanks him for sharing all of that. [48:12] Dr. Shreffler is trying to see what can be utilized from their research to make non-invasive tests to identify food allergen triggers for patients so they don't have to go through so many endoscopies. He sees it as a huge unmet need. [48:31] Ryan thanks Dr. Shreffler for joining us. For our listeners who would like to learn more about eosinophilic disorders, including EoE, please visit APFED.org and check out the links in the show notes. [48:41] If you're looking to find a specialist who treats eosinophilic disorders, we encourage you to use APFED's Specialist Finder at APFED.org/specialist. [48:50] If you'd like to connect with others impacted by eosinophilic diseases, please join APFED's online community on the Inspire Network at APFED.org/connections. [49:00] Ryan thanks Dr. Shreffler for joining us today for this interesting conversation. Holly also thanks APFED's Education Partners Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, Sanofi, and Regeneron for supporting this episode. Mentioned in This Episode: Dr. Wayne Shreffler, MD, Ph.D., Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology and Co-Director of The Food Allergy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital “Triggers for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE): The intersection of food allergy and EoE” Dr. Caitlin Burk Dr. David A. Hill APFED on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram Real Talk: Eosinophilic Diseases Podcast apfed.org/specialist apfed.org/connections Education Partners: This episode of APFED's podcast is brought to you thanks to the support of Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, Sanofi, and Regeneron. Tweetables: “This fascinating problem of food allergy: why does the immune system do that for some people — recognize what should be nutritive and innocuous sources of energy as an immunological trigger? ” — Dr. Wayne Shreffler “A food allergy; because there is this IgE antibody, we can do skin tests. We can measure that in the blood. It's a useful marker for helping to identify which foods are the trigger.” — Dr. Wayne Shreffler “EoE is tricky because there's not that clear and easy temporal association between an offending allergen exposure for most people and their symptoms. People don't associate the symptoms with the triggers.” — Dr. Wayne Shreffler “Everything is shared decision-making. In some cases, it's a shared decision where I have a strong evidence-based opinion. In some cases, there's a lot more room for a range of clinical decisions that could be equally justified.” — Dr. Wayne Shreffler “Steroids don't help with IgE-related food allergy. They're not effective at blocking that IgE-driven immediate response.” — Dr. Wayne Shreffler “I'm trying to see what we can utilize from our research to make non-invasive tests to identify food allergen triggers for patients so they don't have to go through so many endoscopies. I think that's a huge unmet need.” — Dr. Wayne Shreffler
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In this podcast, I discuss many of the HY skin and soft tissue infections you need to know for your exam. Easy points if you devote time to learning them. Quick errata: for leprosy, the lepromatous form is a TH2 issue, the tuberculoid form is a TH1 issue. I mixed the numbers up in the … Continue reading DIP Ep 570: The Clutch Skin and Soft Tissue Infections Podcast (Step 1-3) + Minor Correction
In this podcast, I discuss many of the HY skin and soft tissue infections you need to know for your exam. Easy points if you devote time to learning them. Quick errata: for leprosy, the lepromatous form is a TH2 issue, the tuberculoid form is a TH1 issue. I mixed the numbers up in the … Continue reading DIP Ep 570: The Clutch Skin and Soft Tissue Infections Podcast (Step 1-3) + Minor Correction
Liz & Becca dive deep into the complexities of the immune system, breaking down the difference between TH1 and TH2 responses. Discover how an imbalanced immune system could be the root cause of everything from chronic fatigue and autoimmunity to recurring infections and inflammation. They explore the triggers, symptoms, and actionable strategies to restore balance, from fasting and peptides to functional testing. If you've ever wondered why your body feels stuck in a cycle of stress and symptoms, this episode will give you the tools and insights to finally move forward. ***
In this episode of Derms and Conditions, host James Q. Del Rosso, DO, welcomes Mona Shahriari, MD, associate director of clinical trials at Central CT Dermatology and assistant clinical professor at Yale University, to discuss the challenges of treating pregnant and breastfeeding patients, particularly those with atopic dermatitis (AD). The conversation addresses a crucial yet often unclear topic for dermatologists: balancing safety and efficacy when managing AD in patients during pregnancy and lactation. Dr Shahriari emphasizes the importance of addressing uncontrolled inflammation, which can have potential consequences for both the mother and baby, such as premature birth and maternal sleep disruption. She shares insights into the physiological changes during pregnancy, including the shift from a Th1 to a Th2 immune state, and how this can impact conditions like AD and psoriasis. The discussion highlights the limited data available for systemic treatments in this population, as pregnant women are excluded from clinical trials. Despite this, therapies like dupilumab and cyclosporine are discussed for their safety profiles, with dupilumab often considered when patients need effective control with minimal risk. Dr Shahriari also addresses strategies to involve partners in treatment decisions, ensuring patients feel supported and informed. Drs Del Rosso and Shahriari emphasize the importance of open communication with patients, managing risk tolerance, and understanding the nuances of systemic treatment in pregnancy and lactation. Dr Shahriari shares real-world cases, including the use of dupilumab in a pregnant patient with severe AD and counseling a patient with psoriasis who unintentionally administered a biologic injection during the first trimester. Tune in to the full episode for practical guidance on navigating these complex cases and balancing patient care with available evidence. This episode is a must-listen for dermatologists managing pregnant or breastfeeding patients with inflammatory skin conditions.
In today's episode, I am joined by the incredible Sahar Swidan, PharmD, a pioneer in integrative and functional medicine. Dr. Swidan is President and CEO of NeuroPharm and Former CEO of Pharmacy Solutions in Ann Arbor, MI and Adjunct Associate Professor of Clinical Research and Leadership at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy at Wayne State University. She is an internationally renowned speaker in the areas of pain management, headaches, and HRT. She has authored several book chapters, articles, and patient education material in head and general pain management and personalized medicine. In this talk, we explored the transformative power of combining East and West medicine, the mechanisms behind low-dose naltrexone (LDN), and its applications in autoimmune diseases, inflammatory conditions, and beyond. Plus, we dove into the burgeoning use of ketamine in mental health and pain management. Today's Topics: - Intro (00:00 - 01:58) - Dr. Swidan's Journey: From academia to integrative medicine.(01:58 - 03:00) - East Meets West: The magic of combining traditional and functional medicine.(03:00 - 05:58) - Crunchy Munchy vs. Allopathic Medicine: Why balance is key.(05:58 - 12:43) - Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN): What it is and how it works.(12:43 - 17:27) - Immune Modulation with LDN: Balancing TH1, TH2, and histamine pathways.(17:27 - 24:58) - Inflammation and Autoimmune Conditions: How LDN helps.(24:58 - 29:26) - LDN as a Gerotherapeutic: Slowing down inflammation-driven aging.(29:26 - 35:57) - LDN for Crohn's Disease and IBD: Real results and gut healing.(35:57 - 43:03) - LDN and Hashimoto's: Reducing antibodies and improving thyroid function.(43:03 - 46:34) - Ketamine in Medicine: Treating depression, PTSD, and chronic pain. (46:34 - 48:22) - Rapid Antidepressant Effects: Why ketamine works so fast.(48:22 - 53:53) - Ketamine for Fibromyalgia: A potential game-changer.(53:53 - 01:06:36) - Ketamine Risks and Safety: What patients and clinicians need to know. (01:06:36 - 01:18:17) ***** Learn more about Dr. Swidan: https://sahar.world/ *****Connect with Dr. Jones on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorjones_doctorjones/ *****Connect with Enovative Wellness Center on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GregJonesNMD
An autoimmune disease is a condition in which the immune system attacks its own tissues. It is typically characterized by low regulatory T-cells and high Th17 and Th2 cells. T-reg cells prevent autoimmune diseases by supporting an appropriate immune response. There are natural ways to support your immune system so that it operates at an optimal level. Poor gut health and gut inflammation can block the function of vitamin D3. Without enough vitamin D, T-reg cells do not work properly. The majority of the population is vitamin D-resistant. To support the immune system, you need 8,000 to 10,000 IU of vitamin D daily, but even more to overcome resistance. Poor gut health, inflammation, and low vitamin D are a perfect storm for developing an autoimmune condition. B. infantis and L. reuteri are vital for your immune system, but many people don't have them because these probiotics are very sensitive to antibiotics. These two important microbes help prevent autoimmune diseases, greatly affect T-reg cells, and suppress inflammatory immune cells. L. reuteri helps increase oxytocin, one of the most potent anti-stress hormones. High cortisol levels mean high stress, which suppresses the immune system. The best way to consume l. reuteri is to cultivate it in a dairy product. If you're low in selenium, you will have higher amounts of inflammatory immune cells. Selenium helps lower Th17, Th2 cells, and auto-antibodies involved in autoimmune disorders. Prolonged fasting can improve your immune system by increasing T-reg cells and creating new stem cells. L. reuteri strain https://www.amazon.com/BioGaia-Osfort... Super Gut book link: https://amzn.to/4dIxTy2 Yogurt Recipe: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/reci... **I am finding that using only ONE TBS of prebiotic fiber in the recipe makes a better-quality product. How to Make It: https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/201...https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/l-re... MICROBIOME MASTER CLASS WEBSITE: https://innercircle.drdavisinfinitehe... Yogurt Maker—https://lvnta.com/lv_lrJY1A8ZLtxmwUpYdX Yogurt Jars—https://lvnta.com/lv_qB2B90JNh0hQjaMoXk Yogurt Containers—https://lvnta.com/lv_SFt3wnanoNkBHrf0Rs
Your immune system is so much more than just fighting off the occasional cold. It is deeply connected to EVERYTHING in your body and can be a primary root cause of many common (but not normal) health issues! From chronic fatigue, IBS, and painful periods to stubborn weight loss resistance, skin issues, and more the immune system plays a role! In this episode, we're diving deep into how your immune system works, what happens when TH1, TH2, and TH17 cells go into overdrive, and the signs that your immune system might be out of balance. If you're dealing with autoimmune conditions, chronic inflammation, or mysterious symptoms that just won't go away, this episode is for you. I'll be breaking down how to spot the signs, understand your body's signals, and most importantly, what you can do to support and rebalance your system based on your unique symptoms and health history. If you need help getting to the root cause of your health issues or symptoms click here to apply for coaching!
TWiP reviews a study showing that intestinal helminth infection impairs vaccine-induced T cell responses through an IL-10 pathway, which compromised protection against antigenically drifted SARS-CoV-2 variants. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Daniel Griffin and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Worms impair COVID vaccines (Sci Trans Med) Heligmosomoides image (Wiki Commons) Become a patron of TWiP Send your questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv Music by Ronald Jenkees
BUFFALO, NY- August 16, 2024 – A new #review was #published as the #cover paper of Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), Volume 16, Issue 15, entitled, “Types of cell death and their relations to host immunological pathways”. Various immune pathways in the host, such as TH1, TH2, TH3, TH9, TH17, TH22, TH1-like, and THαβ, have been identified. While TH2 and TH9 responses primarily target multicellular parasites, host immune pathways against viruses, intracellular microorganisms (like bacteria, protozoa, and fungi), and extracellular microorganisms utilize programmed cell death mechanisms to initiate immune responses and effectively eliminate pathogens. In their review, researchers Kuo-Cheng Lu, Kuo-Wang Tsai, Yu-Kuen Wang, and Wan-Chung Hu from Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital, Tri-Service General Hospital and Ming Chuan University, reviewed these cell death pathways associated with the host immunological pathways. "These relationships can help us understand the host defense mechanisms against invading pathogens and provide new insights for developing better therapeutic strategies against infections or autoimmune disorders.” DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206035 Corresponding authors - Wan-Chung Hu - Wanchung.Hu09@tzuchi.com.tw Video short - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPaevm0vpR8 Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.206035 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts Keywords - aging, apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, necroptosis, NETosis, pyroptosis About Aging-US The mission of the journal is to understand the mechanisms surrounding aging and age-related diseases, including cancer as the main cause of death in the modern aged population. The journal aims to promote 1) treatment of age-related diseases by slowing down aging, 2) validation of anti-aging drugs by treating age-related diseases, and 3) prevention of cancer by inhibiting aging. (Cancer and COVID-19 are age-related diseases.) Please visit our website at https://www.Aging-US.com and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AgingJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. John Lewis, a leading expert in nutritional research and the therapeutic potential of Aloe polysaccharides. Dr. Lewis shares insights from his groundbreaking studies on Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and the broader impacts of Aloe polysaccharides on immune function and brain health. Key Topics Discussed Understanding Aloe Polysaccharides What are Aloe polysaccharides? How are they extracted and formulated for nutritional supplements? Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis Overview of Dr. Lewis's studies on Alzheimer's disease and MS. Impact of Aloe polysaccharides on cognitive function and disease progression. Immune System Modulation Effects of Aloe polysaccharides on CD4 to CD8 ratios. Regulation of key cytokines: TNF-alpha, VEGF, and BDNF. Balancing TH1 and TH2 responses. Brain Care Formulation Detailed discussion on the Brain Care formulation developed by Dr. Lewis. Clinical results and patient outcomes. Challenges in Nutritional Research Funding difficulties for nutritional and supplement research. Issues with the pharmacological model of placebo-controlled randomized double-blind trials. Why this model is challenging for evaluating supplements and nutritional interventions. Future Directions and Innovations Potential future applications of Aloe polysaccharides in other health conditions. Innovations in nutritional research methodologies. Key Takeaways Aloe Polysaccharides: Naturally occurring compounds with significant therapeutic potential, particularly in modulating immune function and supporting brain health. Clinical Research: Dr. Lewis's studies highlight the positive effects of Aloe polysaccharides on Alzheimer's disease, MS, and overall immune health. Nutritional Research Challenges: The current pharmacological model of clinical trials poses challenges for the study of supplements, necessitating new research approaches. Research References Studies on Alzheimer's disease and Aloe polysaccharides: Positive impacts on cognitive function and disease markers. Research on MS: Aloe polysaccharides and their role in managing symptoms and progression. Immune modulation: Detailed findings on CD4/CD8 ratios, cytokines (TNF-alpha, VEGF, BDNF), and TH1/TH2 balance. Dr. John Lewis provides compelling evidence on the health benefits of Aloe polysaccharides and underscores the need for innovative research methodologies in nutritional science. This episode offers valuable insights for anyone interested in the intersection of nutrition, immune function, and brain health.Connect with Dr. John Lewis Website: Dr. John Lewis Nutrition If you want to get Daily Brain Care visit our online curated range of cutting edge longevity and anti-aging supplements at BIO John E. Lewis, Ph.D. is the Founder and President of Dr Lewis Nutrition™. Dr. John E. Lewis has spent most of his career developing a unique approach as someone who "walks the walk" through all of his combined professional and personal experiences to attaining optimal health through nutrition, dietary supplements, and exercise. Throughout his research career, he has evaluated many different nutritional approaches to enhancing well-being, particularly for brain health, immune function, and counteracting aging. He can separate fact from fiction regarding how to utilize nutrition and dietary supplements to help you achieve and maintain optimal health. If you need a trusted source of information, products, and services, then look no further than Dr. Lewis and how he can help you achieve your health-related goals. Professional Career Dr. Lewis is past full-time Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Founder and President of Dr Lewis Nutrition™. He is a Diplomate, Faculty Member, and Advisor of the Medical Wellness Association. He has been the principal investigator of over 30 different studies on human health in his research career. During that time, he either directly raised or indirectly supported raising over $23 million in grants, gifts, and contracts for research studies and clinical trials and educational programs for medical students. In addition to his research, Dr. Lewis has been an invited national and international lecturer and guest speaker at conferences and as a guest on television shows. He is a well-known author with over 180 peer-reviewed publications in some of the world's leading scientific journals. He has also mentored many different students, from undergraduates to post-doctoral trainees, in not only how to conduct clinical research but to apply the principles of health promotion into daily practice. Research Interests Much of Dr. Lewis's research has focused on evaluating the effects of nutrition, dietary supplements, and exercise on various aspects of human health. He and his colleagues have been continually searching for ways to help people achieve and maintain health through natural treatments that align with our physiology. A primary stimulus for the origin of Dr Lewis Nutrition™ occurred after Dr. Lewis ran his landmark study on how an aloe polysaccharide multi-nutrient complex improved cognitive and immune functioning after 12 months in persons with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease, leading to the creation of the dietary supplement, Daily Brain Care. Daily Brain Care showed clinically and statistically significant improvements in cognition according to the ADAS-cog cognition score and statistically significant improvements in inflammation (according to TNFα and VEGF), immune function (according to the CD4/CD8 ratio), and adult stem cells (according to CD14+ cells). His seminal publication from the study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease not only spurred him to leave academics and pursue a science-based business career, but also enabled him to be selected for a widely-acclaimed TEDxMiami talk. Founding Dr Lewis Nutrition™ While Dr. Lewis still maintains an academic affiliation, he chose to leave a full-time research career to pursue his true passion of helping people achieve health through nutrition, dietary supplements, and exercise. His research in brain health and immune function was key in the creation of Daily Brain Care, but afterward he chose to shift into business where the opportunity to reach a larger audience is greater. Dr Lewis Nutrition™ is the vehicle through which Dr. Lewis leverages his many years of personal and professional work to spread a message of health that is so desperately needed, particularly for those who are afflicted with an all-too-common chronic disease, e.g., neurodegeneration, immune dysfunction, or cardiac and metabolic disorder. Dr. Lewis will continue to be a thought leader to help people utilize the power of nutrition and dietary supplements and learn how to take control of and optimize their health. Personalised Health Optimisation Consulting with Lisa Tamati Lisa offers solution focused coaching sessions to help you find the right answers to your challenges. Topics Lisa can help with: Lisa is a Genetics Practitioner, Health Optimisation Coach, High Performance and Mindset Coach. She is a qualified Ph360 Epigenetics coach and a clinician with The DNA Company and has done years of research into brain rehabilitation, neurodegenerative diseases and biohacking. She has extensive knowledge on such therapies as hyperbaric oxygen, intravenous vitamin C, sports performance, functional genomics, Thyroid, Hormones, Cancer and much more. She can assist with all functional medicine testing. Testing Options Comprehensive Thyroid testing DUTCH Hormone testing Adrenal Testing Organic Acid Testing Microbiome Testing Cell Blueprint Testing Epigenetics Testing DNA testing Basic Blood Test analysis Heavy Metals Nutristat Omega 3 to 6 status and more Lisa and her functional medicine colleagues in the practice can help you navigate the confusing world of health and medicine . She can also advise on the latest research and where to get help if mainstream medicine hasn't got the answers you are searching for whatever the challenge you are facing from cancer to gut issues, from depression and anxiety, weight loss issues, from head injuries to burn out to hormone optimisation to the latest in longevity science. Book your consultation with Lisa Join our Patron program and support the show Pushing the Limits' has been free to air for over 8 years. Providing leading edge information to anyone who needs it. But we need help on our mission. Please join our patron community and get exclusive member benefits (more to roll out later this year) and support this educational platform for the price of a coffee or two You can join by going to Lisa's Patron Community Or if you just want to support Lisa with a "coffee" go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LisaT to donate $3 Lisa's Anti-Aging and Longevity Supplements Lisa has spent years curating a very specialized range of exclusive longevity, health optimizing supplements from leading scientists, researchers and companies all around the world. This is an unprecedented collection. The stuff Lisa wanted for her family but couldn't get in NZ that's what it's in her range. Lisa is constantly researching and interviewing the top scientists and researchers in the world to get you the best cutting edge supplements to optimize your life. Subscribe to our popular Youtube channel with over 600 videos, millions of views, a number of full length documentaries, and much more. You don't want to miss out on all the great content on our Lisa's youtube channel. Youtube Order Lisa's Books Lisa has published 5 books: Running Hot, Running to Extremes, Relentless, What your oncologist isn't telling you and her latest "Thriving on the Edge" Check them all out at https://shop.lisatamati.com/collections/books Perfect Amino Supplement by Dr David Minkoff Introducing PerfectAmino PerfectAmino is an amino acid supplement that is 99% utilized by the body to make protein. PerfectAmino is 3-6x the protein of other sources with almost no calories. 100% vegan and non-GMO. The coated PerfectAmino tablets are a slightly different shape and have a natural, non-GMO, certified organic vegan coating on them so they will glide down your throat easily. Fully absorbed within 20-30 minutes! No other form of protein comes close to PerfectAminos Listen to the episode with Dr Minkoff here: Use code "tamati" at checkout to get a 10% discount on any of their devices. Red Light Therapy: Lisa is a huge fan of Red Light Therapy and runs a Hyperbaric and Red Light Therapy clinic. If you are wanting to get the best products try Flexbeam: A wearable Red Light Device https://recharge.health/product/flexbeam-aff/?ref=A9svb6YLz79r38 Or Try Vielights' advanced Photobiomodulation Devices Vielight brain photobiomodulation devices combine electrical engineering and neuroscience. To find out more about photobiomodulation, current studies underway and already completed and for the devices mentioned in this video go to www.vielight.com and use code “tamati” to get 10% off Enjoyed This Podcast? If you did, subscribe and share it with your friends! If you enjoyed tuning in, then leave us a review and share this with your family and friends. Have any questions? You can contact my team through email (support@lisatamati.com) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. For more episode updates, visit my website. You may also tune in on Apple Podcasts. To pushing the limits, Lisa and team
Ever wonder why your body reacts so intensely to seasonal allergies? In this episode of Sick Health With Kevin Ban, MD, we'll go on a journey with dual-board certified immunologist and internal medicine physician Dr. Tania Elliot, exploring the fascinating science behind allergic reactions. Imagine this: your body's ancient system for eliminating parasites is just plain old BORED. With nothing much to do in the modern world where parasites are at a minimum, your Th2 cells will attack just about anything to keep busy. Conversely, in underdeveloped locations, where parasites run rampant, allergic responses are almost non-existent. In just 45 minutes, here's just some of the information you'll master:1. You'll discover the intricate mechanisms of allergic responses.2. You'll learn about common myths surrounding allergies and their debunking.3. You'll understand how allergies impact everyday health and wellbeing.4. You'll gain practical tips to manage and mitigate allergic reactions effectively.Make sure to subscribe, like, comment, and share. We want to make sure we put the power of healthcare in YOUR hands. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology: https://acaai.org/American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology: https://www.aaaai.org/SHARING BEAUTYAdore You, by Harry Styleshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF-r5TtlT9w ←- Note, the music video version does not really correlate to what Tania is talking about, so I suggest linking to the lyric video instead: → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iquhBgM-Qv0Find Tania at: https://www.youtube.com/@drtaniaelliottDr. Tania Elliott, MD, FAAAAI, FACAAI, is a leading authority in her field and a prominent health influencer, with over 40 million views across platforms. She is dual board-certified in Internal Medicine and Allergy/Immunology and serves as a Clinical Instructor at NYU Langone Health. As a spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Dr. Elliott is dedicated to addressing the widespread medical misinformation and providing a trustworthy source of health information.Dr. Elliott is also the founder of Modern Medical, a consulting firm that provides strategic, operational, and advisory support across all healthcare sectors. As a seasoned healthcare executive, she started Modern Medical to drive innovation and change in the industry. The firm helps clients leverage technology and IoT to enhance patient experience, improve practice efficiency, and reduce costs. Modern Medical also empowers clinicians to explore new career paths and adapt to emerging care delivery models. Through Modern Medical, Dr. Elliott aims to address the challenges facing today's healthcare infrastructure and create sustainable, effective solutions for the future.Through her impactful contributions to the field, Dr. Elliott has become a recognized thought leader, earning accolades such as being named one of Medical Marketing and Media's (MM+M) top 40 Healthcare Transformers in 2019 and one of Health Tech Magazine's Top 30 Healthcare IT Influencers to Follow in 2023. In addition to her media presence, she is a sought-after public speaker and keynote presenter at national medical conferences and meetings. Frequently featured on major television shows, including Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, Today Show, Good Day NY, and Live with Kelly and Mark, Dr. Elliott continues to inspire and inform a broad audience. Her expertise and influence position her at the forefront of the healthcare industry, making a significant impact.To see any images and leave your questions or comments, find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@SickHealthwithKevinBanMD
In today's episode, we explore the role of Thymosin Alpha 1 Peptide in modulating the immune system, specifically its effects on Th1 and Th2 responses. The episode further delves into the mechanisms by which Borrelia burgdorferi evades immune detection and offers strategies to enhance immune effectiveness against this stealthy pathogen. Additionally, we discuss the broader implications of immune modulation in chronic Lyme disease and mold exposures. Topics: Introduction Recap of the series on Lyme and mold Highlighting the key steps in the biotoxin illness resolution process Importance of working with a medical professional Key Steps in Biotoxin Illness Resolution Lowering inflammation Lipid replacement therapy (phospholipids) Use of antimicrobial and antiparasitic herbs for Lyme and coinfections Employing binders to eliminate toxins and reduce inflammation Checking for MARCoNS and utilizing treatments like silver spray or biofilm busters (e.g., xylitol) Detoxification post-MARCoNS clearance using agents like chlorella and glutathione Assessing and normalizing various health markers (e.g., ADH, osmolality, MMP9, C4a, C3a, TGF-beta, sex hormones) Additional Resources and Episodes Early stages of Lyme infection and Herxheimer reaction: Episode 116 Chronic inflammation and biotoxin management: Episode 117 Role of binders in interrupting enterohepatic circulation and toxin elimination Discussion on Biofilm Importance of addressing biofilm in antimicrobial therapies Potential supplements and strategies (e.g., garlic, oil of oregano, stevia) Overview of Lyme Disease Impact & Immune Function Chronic inflammation due to miscommunication between the innate and adaptive immune systems + dysregulated adaptive responses How borrelia evades the immune responses Immunomodulation in Lyme Disease Background on immune modulation Role of T cells in adaptive immune response Th1 and Th2 cell imbalance in chronic Lyme Strategies to support Th1 cells and decrease Th2 response Focus on Thymosin Alpha 1 Benefits of Thymosin Alpha 1 in modulating immune function Promoting Th1 response and managing Th2 dominance Effects on regulatory T cells (Tregs) and immune tolerance Conclusion Reminder to work with a Lyme literate or biotoxin illness literate medical professional Thanks for tuning in! Get Chloe's Book Today! "75 Gut-Healing Strategies & Biohacks" If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review or share it to your stories over on Instagram. If you tag @synthesisofwellness, Chloe would love to personally thank you for listening! Follow Chloe on Instagram @synthesisofwellness Follow Chloe on TikTok @chloe_c_porter Visit synthesisofwellness.com to purchase products, subscribe to our mailing list, and more! Or visit linktr.ee/synthesisofwellness to see all of Chloe's links, schedule a BioPhotonic Scanner consult with Chloe, or support the show! Thanks again for tuning in! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chloe-porter6/support
Allergy season is upon us, and many are relying on medications like Benadryl, NyQuil, and Dramamine, which have been linked to an increased risk of dementia with long-term use. In this informative episode, I share the comprehensive protocol that helped me and numerous patients overcome allergies once and for all. We'll dive deep into the underlying causes of allergies, exploring the intricate interplay between the immune system, environmental factors, and gut health. From reducing toxic burdens and balancing the Th1/Th2 immune response to healing the gut and restoring beneficial bacteria, this episode provides a holistic blueprint for resolving allergies at their root. Get ready to bid farewell to the misery of sneezing, congestion, and itchy eyes as we uncover the path to lasting relief without the side effects of conventional medications. Show Notes: Understanding Allergies: Causes, Symptoms, and Common Allergens Genetic and environmental factors contributing to allergies Type I hypersensitivity reaction and the role of IgE antibodies Common allergens: environmental, food, insect, drug, and contact allergens The Overflowing Cup: Why Allergies Worsen Over Time Toxic burdens: environmental toxins, home toxins, inflammatory foods The impact of stress on the immune system's capacity Conventional Allergy Treatments: Effectiveness and Side Effects Over-the-counter and prescription medications: antihistamines, decongestants, corticosteroids Potential side effects: drowsiness, dry mouth, cognitive impairment, dementia risk The Naturopathic Approach: Treating the Whole Person and Getting to the Root Reducing the toxic burden Balancing the Th1 and Th2 immune response Healing the Gut: A Four-Step Process Recommended Resources and Further Reading: https://ndnr.com/autoimmuneallergy-medicine/allergies-a-route-to-resolution/ === Thank you to our sponsors! AquaTru https://aquatru.com and use code DRG for 20% off all products. Nuzest https://nuzest-usa.com/drg and use code DRG for 20% off all products. === Be sure to like and subscribe to #HealThySelf Hosted by Doctor Christian Gonzalez N.D. Follow Doctor G on Instagram @doctor.gonzalez https://www.instagram.com/doctor.gonzalez/ Visit https://www.elm.health/ to work directly with Dr. G.
Whether you're a parent concerned about your child's allergies or an allergy sufferer seeking relief, this episode promises to broaden your understanding and bring hope about available treatments! Dr. Gina Dapul-Hidalgo is a board-certified pediatric and adult allergy and immunology specialist, and she explains what allergies really are: the immune system's overreactions to typically harmless substances in the environment. She and Dr. Amigues discuss the different types of allergies, how antibodies work, and the effect of environment on allergies. Dr. Dapul also dives into allergen immunotherapy (desensitization), one of the oldest and most helpful methods for treating allergies. You've probably heard of allergy shots; these can decrease the sensitivity to allergens, reduce the need for medication, and are the closest thing to a cure for allergies! We'll end on a discussion about TH1 and TH2 cells, and the benefits of exposing children to dirt and germs for a resilient immune system. Getting dirty in nature is good for us!
Pet allergies can range from mild to severe — from a nuisance to, occasionally, anaphylaxis. When all you've got is some itchiness and a runny nose, are you doomed to a life without a furry friend?Norman and Tegan discuss the possibility of building up a tolerance to allergens. Got a health question? Shoot us a line @ABCHealth on Instagram, or send a voice memo to thatrash@abc.net.au. We'd love to hear from you!Looking for COVID-19 updates? Don't panic, they've moved over to The Health ReportReferences: Dog ownership at three months of age is associated with protection against food allergySensitisation, asthma, and a modified Th2 response in children exposed to cat allergenSpecific gut microbiome signatures and the associated pro-inflammatory functions are linked to paediatric allergy and acquisition of immune tolerance
Who has ever felt travel hungover? Who fears travel because you might have a chronic illness flare or the unknown away from your healing home? Look I get it, travel used to make me so dang anxious. It took a whole entire routine just to feel good at home, throwing travel in as a variable to the mix was just plain hard! Until I learned the secret tricks and tools that helped me heal my 8 different autoimmune diseases into remission while I traveled, and see the world all at the same time! Nowadays, I feel like my superhuman self and enjoy traveling at least 1-2 times a month. I want you to remember that your body is not broken, if you have AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE you can 100% heal. Travel may just be one of the necessary ingredients with a few necessary directions. So buckle up, press play, and let's go full speed ahead into this episode! Show notes: WATCH this episode here: https://www.inspirehealthbyjen.com/heal-your-autoimmune-symptoms-signup AUTOIMMUNE HEALING RESEARCH GROUP WAITLIST: https://www.inspirehealthbyjen.com/heal-your-autoimmune-symptoms-signup WORK WITH JEN 1-1 https://www.inspirehealthbyjen.com/discovery-call HEALING RETREAT: https://www.inspirehealthbyjen.com/retreats IN-HOME INFRARED SAUNA: https://www.inspirehealthbyjen.com/infrared-therapy CONNECT WITH JEN: https://www.inspirehealthbyjen.com/work-with-jen INSPIRE HEALTH FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/inspirehealthhealing/ Have a question? Send a request and we may feature it on a future episode!: https://forms.gle/bbpYJKTPhmsezYs3A Study mentioned:Assaf, A. M., Al-Abbassi, R., & Al-Binni, M. (2017). Academic stress-induced changes in Th1- and Th2-cytokine response. Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society, 25(8), 1237–1247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2017.09.009 Free Guide(s): One Day Detox Recipes: https://www.inspirehealthbyjen.com/subscribe-to-pdf Full Moon Meditation: http://www.inspirehealthbyjen.com/subscribe-for-full-moon-meditation Energy Healing Audio: https://www.inspirehealthbyjen.com/energy-healing-audio-download Find Out More: www.inspirehealthbyjen.com Blog: www.middaypigeon.com If you have questions or would like me to help you get started… Let's get in touch and begin your true path of healing today. Your body and your mind will eternally thank you!
Atopic dermatitis should be viewed as a syndrome rather than a singular disease. Between genetics, skin barrier, environment, microbiome, TH2 immunity, etc. there are so many factors that play a role which is why dermatologists always mention a multimodal approach.Check out more details on this week's episode of The Derm Vet podcast!
This episode was originally published on April 18th, 2017 on SelfHacked Radio - now known as The Joe Cohen Show. It's been 6 years since this episode aired, and yet a lot of health issues that were mentioned, alongside revolutionary health strategies that Dr. Gundry shares, are still more relevant than ever! In an episode that clearly shows Dr. Gundry was way ahead of his time, Joe and Steven Gundry discuss the prominence of leaky gut, how inflammation is the cause of the majority of health issues, and the root cause of all of this - LECTINS! You'll also discover the best ways to approach an elimination diet and how to optimize your gut health! - Check out SelfDecode - Join Joe's online community - Follow Joe on Instagram Timestamps: (0:00) - Intro (15:52) - Lectins number one cause of gut issues? (22:15) - TH2 dominance and the immune system (27:55) - The process of healing your gut to introduce more foods (31:49) - Starting with a lectin-free diet (34:17) - Fiberous carbs vs non-fiberous carbs (44:17) - Low histamine foods relation to lectins (48:00) - The cannabinoid system and the CNR1 Gene (52:48) - Best probiotics to restore the gut (55:52) - Most important supplements to take (58:56) - Keto Plant Paradox (1:01:47) - Animal protein and mTOR
In pursuit of mechanisms and evidence-based approaches, gut health has been revealed as a critical cornerstone of neurological health. In this episode, we're going into detail on what the gut layers are. I hope this video will help someone else who's trying to understand how the gut works for purposes of biohacking with functional medicine, nutrition, supplements, etc. For any intervention, is there evidence of a relationship, and is there data that it worked in other humans? We talk about: what the gut mucus is made out of elements of the gut barrier - the many ways the body keeps microbes and partially digested food away kinds of intestinal epithelial cells (Goblet cells, Paneth cells, M cells, etc.) and their functions types of gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and their distinctions - lamina propria, Peyer's patches, lymph nodes the enteric nervous system and enteroendocrine cells different types of CD4+ T cells: Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg, what they respond to, and their major outputs the mechanism of nutrient absorption the mechanism of leaky gut (paracellular transport through tight junctions) Here's the video: https://youtu.be/sIn_VxH6zDA Transcript of the video, for those who are pressed for time: https://www.brainforest.org/post/leaky-gut-anatomy I hope this helps someone understand their gut a little better on the path to health. Stay tuned for our next podcast on the relationship between leaky gut and aging. Share this resource with others who are studying gut anatomy on the path to health!
Sinus problems are rampant. Americans spend over $1 Billion annually to treat sinus problems with over-the-counter medications, which is crazy. It's not just common in the chronic illness world and in the autoimmune world, and ESPECIALLY in the mold world, it's common in everyone. Sinus inflammation is interesting. I have had really great success healing my own sinuses. I'm not recommending that everyone (or anyone) do what I did, but what I REALLY DID was I spent several years intensely studying deep immunology and the Ear, Nose, and Throat and Allergy literature, read 100s of studies, and used things like high dose supplements and essential oils to have really good success with nasal polyps and chronic sinusitis. I haven't had sinus issues for over 3 years. Here is a video of what I did to get rid of nasal polyps, it's crazy. When I talk about sinuses, I'm also talking about ENT areas - ear infections, tonsils, sore throats, pharyngitis, which includes things like Strep and PANDAS, but most of my success was with the nose. The whole ENT region is a hotbed of infections and pathogens, and is right across the wall from the brain, and things like antibodies, histamine, chemical toxins, inflammatory cytokines, and mycotoxins from mold can ride the "olfactory elevator" (as Dr. Jill Crista calls it) right up to the brain - right to deep, midline areas like the frontal cortex (brain fog, etc), pituitary (hormones), amygdala (anxiety, fear, etc), hypothalamus (temp, dysautonomia, etc), neurological dysfunctions and more. Sinus inflammation drives many immune mechanisms, including Th2 and eosinophilic inflammation, mast cell activation and histamine, and Th17 inflammation, which is tissue-damaging autoimmune inflammation and will drive autoimmune progression. THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE! One thing that can drive this immune activation are chronic biofilms including Strep, Staph (MARCoNS), and Mold/Yeast that are incredibly persistent and antibiotic resistant. Biofilm colonies, like in the gut, grow on sinuses, adenoids, tonsils (that's why they remove them!) and ENT surfaces - and when they adhere to a surface they are over 1000x harder to kill, and they are highly persistent and antibiotic resistant. THIS IS THE OTHER MOST IMPORTANT PIECE! In this episode I talk about 4 levels of supporting sinus inflammation naturally:1 - Breathe Clean Air!!!! Allergies are obviously an issue....You can't be living in mold....I talk about air purifiers, mold candles, HVAC filters, and more.2 - Fix your Gut and Balance your Immune System - I talk about using things like probiotics, herbal killers, SCFA, vitamins D and A, glutathione, perilla, quercetin, luteolin, etc to support barrier integrity, mast cell activation, Th2 dominance.3 - Break Biofilms and Kill Infections - Nasal Spray, Neti Pot, Nebulizer, Gargle - I talk about using essential oils, iodine, hydrogen peroxide, silver, propolis, aqualaurin, biocidin, etc to break up biofilms and help kill pathogens. 4 - Maintain - I talk about the importance of breathing clean air, doing regular nasal rinses, and more to maintain. This is not medical advice, but many people have seen their ENT with very little answer besides antihistamines, antibiotics, or steroids, so these are just some of the things that people are doing out there, and hopefully it can help you solve YOUR puzzle!I also mention this, my favorite newsletter and started by an amazing ENT surgeon:www.sinusitiswellness.com
It's hard to slow down when you're dopamine-dominant. Being highly motivated, fast-paced, and competitive has many benefits, but how can you slow down when it starts negatively impacting your health? Kris Gethin is on the podcast today to answer that, and much more! In this episode, Kris and Joe discuss their thoughts on stem cell therapy, how to choose what supplements to add and remove for optimal fitness, and how Kris uses biohacking to balance his training with his focus on living a long and healthy life. Kris also gives us an inside look at his daily routine and what he focuses on to optimize his diet and nutrition, which has resulted in him achieving a glycan age of 26 at the current chronological age of 48! Kris Gethin is the co-owner of KAGED supplements, co-owner of the Kris Gethin Gyms, owner of Kris Gethin coaching and a hybrid athlete. He is the former editor in chief of bbcom, former editor at large of FLEX and came 2nd in Natural World bodybuilding championships in 2006. - Find Kris Gethin on Instagram @krisgethin - Check out SelfDecode - Join Joe's online community - Follow Joe on Instagram & TikTok Timestamps: (0:00) - Introduction (2:56) - Kris' Daily Routine (10:42) - How Kris chooses his supplements (15:24) - HRV and training (21:18) - The neurochemistry behind overtraining and mood (26:13) - Kris labs and supplements (31:34) - Stem cells (33:50) - Longevity and bodybuilding (42:36) - How to improve glycan age (45:43) - Th1 vs Th2 and megadosing supplements
During this edition of the Thrivality:OutLoud Podcast, Steven Wright is back on the show to discuss his new creation - HoloImmune - which uses a new class of ingredients called ParaProbiotics - or heat treated young probiotics - to rebalance the two branches of your immune system, the Innate and Adaptive or TH1 and TH2. These branches modulate each other but can become imbalanced through stress or illness resulting in a host of problems from respiratory, skin, gut, or overall immune imbalances.And while HoloImmune uses something sounding like a ProBiotic - aka ParaProbiotics - this product is NOT intended for traditional gut flora repopulation; rather, HoloImmue re-estabishes proper cell to cell communication in the gut. Think of Vitamin C, Zinc, Quercertin, NAC as ingredients the immune system uses to do its job. And HoloImmune as the intelligence or “flight plans” to get the immune system rebalanced and “flying” in the right direction.Why you should listen: podcast topics & outline1. Why Steven and his team created the new HoloImmune cell signaling product that reboots the immune systems flight plans2. What are the two (2) branches of the immune system, Innate and Adaptive, where they are located and how they actually work3. The five (5) different ways the immune system can become dis regulated 4. How HoloImmune is different than traditional Immune System ingredients such as Vitamin C, Zinc, Quercertin, etc.5. How HoloImmune supports the Upper Respiratory System, Skin Health, and even those dealing with more complex health issues like Lyme or Mold6. HoloImmune's unique ParaProbiotic ingredients that don't act like a traditional probiotic, but rather intelligently rebalance and modulate the immune system7. Who HoloImmune is for and how much to takeSponsors and Linksa) Discount link for HoloImmune or use the discount code Thrive15 for $15 your first order @ www.HealthGut.com. Offer expires 10/31/2022b) for more information about me, journey, and offerings: http://www.thrivality.com
Everyone's immune systems work a bit differently. Many Canadians have allergic diseases such as asthma, food allergy and allergic rhinitis. These people are subject to Th2 skewing which is when there is more Th2 cytokines in their body. It is unknown if underlying Th2 skewing impacts one's response to the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. Understanding the […]
Parasites are interesting. That word means different things to different people, some people are terrified of the idea of worms living inside their body, but at the same time parasite cleanses are super trendy on Instagram and social media, and yet some people think that parasite cleansing is the solution to all health problems....which one is it?Parasites are paradoxical in the research world, many areas of the world that have endemic parasitic infections have virtually no autoimmunity, and helminth therapy is actually an incredibly promising treatment for certain autoimmune cases. The reason that parasites are so relevant in the population of people that I see is because of our junk food supply, the toxins everywhere, and the rampant metabolic and immune disruption - - but they aren't always the ONLY culprit, they show up more often with the presence of heavy metals, Candida, SIBO, mold and other toxins. When they are recognized as bad, they elicit a strong and specific immune response that I talk about in detail in the podcast, triggering a Th2 immune response via IL-4 and activating mast cells and histamine, and often keeping someone stuck there (sound familiar??) as they become allergic to more foods, chemicals, and more sensitive to their world. They can also drive inflammatory bowel processes, cause liver and gallbladder issues, disrupt neurotransmitters, infect the brain, and much more. While I certainly do NOT believe that parasites are a piece of every person's health puzzle, I do think "parasite cleansing" can be incredibly helpful in the right situation. In this podcast I share my personal opinions and personal experiences that I have had with parasites (including when I passed one!) and many stories of helping people with them, and they are pretty drastic stories. I also talk about the testing available and what I personally look for, as well as the supplements and protocols I recommend for people and how those are given, and basically everything that I know and think about parasites! Leave a rating, review, share this episode with a friend!!
Ok so let's talk about gut health. Gut health and detox are pretty much the two most important topics, and toxins affect gut health....but good gut health is necessary for proper detoxification.....I think gut health wins. At least for this next podcast series :) Gut health is foundational to health, inflammation, and aging. It's so crucial, but so few people seem to have it mastered IF they are still experiencing symptoms, and I mean ANY symptoms - joint pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, bipolar, metabolic, certainly autoimmune flares, not just digestive symptoms. I'm going to go deeper into some specific topics in the next few episodes, but this one is an overview, and I made a list of the 10 most important things for gut health. The first 3 are symptoms, the next 4 are mechanisms, and the last 3 are infections, and understanding these 10 things will give you a pretty good grasp on understanding gut health and digestion overall!Diarrhea - I talk about IBS, IBD, low microbiome and good bacteria/probiotics, glutamine, mast cells, and hydrogen SIBO....Constipation - I talk dysbiosis/methane, and a LOT about vagal motor outflow and vagus nerve activity that controls motility as well as HCL, bile, enzymes....Bloating - When I hear bloating I think small intestine and fermentation. Dysbiosis is often at the root, which includes proper digestion (HCL and bile), and I touch on SIBO/SIFO, avoiding FODMAPs foods....Digestion - This is critical!! Chewing your food, being in parasympathetic mode, then proper stomach acid - it can be too high (mast cells) or too low (more common), pancreatic digestive enzymes, bile from the gallbladder (steatocrit), and of course VAGUS BABY!Dysbiosis - The 10 lbs of bacteria in your gut can become imbalanced. Low good bacteria, general microbiome imbalances…..and LPS!!!!!Leaky Gut - Everyone can have some intestinal permeability, is yours pathological, and if so what kind is it - paracellular or transcellular? Food Sensitivities - IgG testing, and how food sensitivities can drive autoimmune reactivity, general inflammatory tone, and initiate T cell mediated tissue damageSIBO - Bloating! Fermentation of fibers, starches, sugars, FODMAPs ...why you need HCL, bile, vagus outflow……Why I think SIBO testing is dumb….Candida - OMG….the single biggest thing I see. Antibiotics, sugar, stress, birth control, mold exposure, can drive a Th17 inflammatory response (autoimmune), can also drive Th2 (and both will decrease Th1)......and why I love urinary organic acids testing for fungal issues.Parasites - this I am going to do a whole episode on because it's crazy, it's quite frankly pretty controversial in the autoimmune world, is it better to have or to not have them??? The answer is IT DEPENDS. But I do talk about someone who was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and it actually seemed to be a parasitic infection, pretty interesting story :)Share this with someone, subscribe, leave a rating and review, and follow me elsewhere!
A stuffy nose (allergic rhinitis) is one of the most common symptoms of allergies, aka hay fever.Millions suffer seasonally, or just randomly, unable to fully appreciate blooming flowers, grassy meadows, furry four-legged pet friends, or other beauties in the environment.I, Dr. Ben, know this quite well first hand, as allergies and asthma kept me from feeling my best during soccer and baseball seasons as a kiddo. The prescription antihistamines and bronchodilating inhalers hardly worked to manage my chronic allergies... but then, everything changed when nature helped to put my immune system into balance. In today's Medicinal Monday episode we cover everything from managing allergy symptoms naturally, the power of nasal diaphragmatic breathing to help the body function in its best form, as well as the intricacies of immune balancing (Th1 and Th2).As always, you can join us live each Monday at 12 PT / 3 ET on the Alter Health YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/alterhealthSome highlights from today's episode on Nose/Sinuses...The nose and sinuses filter and humidify air, providing first line of defense against invading pathogens and toxinsChronic congestion from allergies increases risk for upper respiratory infection including sinus infection and ear infectionAllergy symptoms can be immediately relieved from steam inhalation or alternating compress, as well as some herbs and supplements (nettels, butterbur, NAC, etc)The power of nose breathing to both prevent and reverse chronic congestion (and balance blood pressure, nervous system, oral microbiome, and more)How being too clean/sterile can chronically imbalance the immune system and exacerbate allergies (and other conditions related to Th2 dominance)Links to some more good stuff- Join Alter Health on Locals: https://alterhealth.locals.com/- Cleanse with Us during the next Alter Health Cleanse: https://www.alter.health/cleanse- Work with us in the Thrive on Plants program: https://www.alter.health/thrive-on-plants- ATTN Health Practitioners! Learn more and apply to the Plant Based Mind Body Practitioner Program: https://www.alter.health/pbmb-practitionerPeace and Love.
Between 10-30% of the global population experiences allergic rhinitis, otherwise known as "hay fever," which is the most common presentation of environmental allergies.Honestly, I thought allergies were even more prevalent than this. The wide range is likely due to the fact that allergies tend to come and go, which can make them even more difficult to understand and get a handle on.Nevertheless, prescription and over-the-counter allergy medications, such as anti-histamines, are some of the most common pills to be swallowed in our world today. Even with such meds, it can be difficult to manage these symptoms... until now!No, no, no... there aren't any quick fixes to allergies. In fact, reversing allergies is a prime example of playing the long game to allow and encourage the immune system to find its innate balance.In a nutshell, the "allergens" that trigger an immune response aren't bad and we shouldn't have to fear or avoid them. The goal is to retrain and nourish the immune system to offer more resilience. We cover lots of science and strategies for managing and reversing allergy symptoms in today's episode.If you'd like to join these conversations live, be sure to Subscribe to the Alter Health YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/alterhealthSome highlights from today's MM episode...Managing allergy symptoms (+ cold/URI) naturally with steam inhalation, netti pot, and alternating hot/cold compressThe allergy/anti-histamine herbs and nutrients like nettles, butterbur, eyebright, quercetin, Vit C, NACReducing the load of environmental triggers by removing shoes indoors, washing sheets regularly, dusting/vacuuming, HEPA air filter, etcThe importance of balancing Th1 and Th2 immune responses - resolving system inflammation, avoiding immunogenic foods, gut healing, exposure to bacteria/virusesUnderstanding the stress response and its role in the immune systemLinks to some more good stuff- Join Alter Health on Locals: https://alterhealth.locals.com/- Cleanse with Us during the next Alter Health Cleanse: https://www.alter.health/cleanse- Work with us in the Thrive on Plants program: https://www.alter.health/thrive-on-plants- ATTN Health Practitioners! Learn more and apply to the Plant Based Mind Body Practitioner Program: https://www.alter.health/pbmb-practitionerPeace and Love.
In this episode, Dr. Carmen explains how cortisol helps regulate the immune systems TH1 and TH2. What TH1 combats for us and how cortisol impacts it. What TH2 combats and again how cortisol impacts it. Understanding this relationship can help us better understand our labs, how we fight chronic and why we can't (sometimes) fight chronic infection. TH1, TH2, and Cortisol relationship impacts our health, energy, recovery, and the ability for our body to get fitter. If you want to take this work deeper, and apply it to your life we invite you to join us in the New Beginnings Program. We take this work apply it to your daily life, practice it. Unwinding the beliefs that don't serve you and go to work creating ones that move your life to that place you want it to be. Click here for more information: https://www.kimberlyjarmancoaching.com/the-path-to-success-program/ If you are ready to jump in click here to schedule a complimentary consultation call: https://calendly.com/kimberlyjarmancoaching/free-consultation-call For more information about working with Dr. Carmen Jones ND https://www.drcarmenjones.com
HIGHLIGHTS[00:48] Relating the winter Olympics to the nobility of the sports[05:15] Unravelling Nathalie's identity, purpose in life and her passion for sharing information[09:05] Living a life of gratitude in a world of abundance but not contentment[11:35] What is a peptide? What does it do to the body?[17:35] The proper way of introducing peptides to the body[21:49] A starter peptide that may work for an individual who just started to take a peptide[26:00] What is a Th1 and Th2 cell?[34:30] Utilizing both conventional and alternative medicine to provide medical solutions[38:15] Bioregulator peptides and the untapped benefits it provides to the body[43:35] Getting your hands on a peptide[50:14] Natalie relates her experience with peptides and the most profound benefits it has[56:06] The unquantifiable effects of good sleep and Nathalie's hacks for a great sleepUPGRADE YOUR WELLNESSClaim your free toxicity consult through this LINKAMD Ion Cleanse: https://calendly.com/ioncleanse/detoxCellcore - https://freddiesetgo.com/favorites/cellcore/ My favorite BindersLightPath LED https://lightpathled.com/?wpam_id=2 Discount Code - beautifullybrokenCelsius Network Website - https://celsius.network/ My Fav CRYPTO BankingBioStrap:https://biostrap.com/order-evo?ref=freddiekimmelp My Favorite Recovery Tracker Discount: BEAUTIFULLYBROKENUpgraded Formulas: LINK Code: FREDDIE10CONNECT WITH FREDDIECheck out my website and download “The Beautifully Broken Buyer's Guide” - https://freddiesetgo.com/Join my membership program -https://www.buymeacoffee.com/freddiesetgoInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/freddiesetgo/
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder of the Central Nervous System that has been associated with several environmental factors, such as diet and obesity. The possible link between MS and obesity has become more interesting in recent years since the discovery of the remarkable properties of adipose tissue. There is CONSTANT cell communication between immune cells, neural cells and fat (adipose) cells. The more fat cells one has on the body, the more leptin, resistin, visfatin and other hormones are released. These hormones LOWER the very important cytokine called adiponectin (a neuron protector). Also, an increase in fat cells creates an INCREASE amount of TH1 &TH17 (pro-inflammatory cytokines)n& decrease in TH2 (anti-inflammatory cytokines). More fat cells increase nitric oxide and ROS (reactive oxygen species) that causes excess cell death. ALL of this happening in the neural cells leads to a decrease in the re-myelination and increase of de-myelination. This is BAD news for a disease that is listed #1 as most common demyelinating disease of the central nervous system.
Today I'm with guest Dr Rahul Vangala This episode gets straight to the point in answering the grand question of “Why does a mother's immune system not reject a developing baby as foreign tissue?” Dr. Rahul Vangala's most interesting answer is compared to a person's rejection of organ transplants. He explains that along with the immune changes a mother experiences, the placenta's close knit anatomy is a certain immune privilege site that has the attributes of a nematode using neurokinines in order to remain “hidden” and not be detected by the host. If the host's body cannot recognize foreign substances, then it lacks the ability to enable defense mechanisms that would attack that foreign material. This is most favorable for a fetus and perpetuates gestation. He moves on to break down the complex immune responses our bodies have antigens, or foreign materials, by mentioning the main role of the TH1 T Helper Cell and it's critical function to rejecting organs. Dr. Vangala mentions this because during pregnancy it necessary that there be an ideal degree of immune suppression of TH1 responses by the presence of TH2 responses. Not only are TH1 cells suppressed but Natural Killer cells are also dampened. He then goes on to explain how the beginning stages of the placenta during implantation resembles a semi-allograft meaning that the tissues grafted in are only partially foreign. The two doctors then discuss a major topic of autoimmune disorders and the complications of attempting to get pregnant. They unveil the way the autoimmune diseases decrease the likelihood of an optimal environment for viable gestation. Although, it is not impossible for women who live with autoimmune disorders to get pregnant and deliver a health baby. However, all in all there are many adjustments to the mechanics in order to make what we see as precious miracles. #immunechanges #placenta #pregnancy #immunesystem #TCells #THelperCells #semiallograft #autoimmune #graft #host #Surrogacy #AllergyImmunology #Rashes #Hives #Hormones
Hydrogen's role in the energy transition has gained popularity as new use cases (and markets) open up, but concerns around distribution and storage have affected its real-world applications. Jared Moore joins us this week to discuss the potential for the hydrogen economy and the challenges it faces. Hydrogen is an energy carrier, not an energy source, and can deliver or store a tremendous amount of energy. Hydrogen can be used in fuel cells to generate electricity, or power, and heat.Recommended reading for hydrogen as an energy carrierGuest Bio: Jared Moore is an independent energy consultant and Founder of TH2 Motors, a forerunner of the Thermal Hydrogen economy that will manufacture Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) range extenders for electric vehicles, enabling the *option* to charge via the grid or fuel cells which are rapidly refueled at conventional gas stations. Jared earned his Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University and has worked as independent energy consulting since 2014 from Washington, D.C., providing technical policy analysis focusing on electricity markets and the interaction between energy sectors. His peer-reviewed paper "Hourly modeling of Thermal Hydrogen electricity markets" was recently awarded "Paper of the Year" by Clean Energy journal.Learn more about TH2 MotorsConnect with Jared on LinkedInSupport the podcast on PatreonSubscribe to our newsletter