The exact outlines of an anti-inflammatory strategy against cancer have yet to be elucidated. Tweaking immune cells that form a defensive barrier against pathogens bears its own risks. “It’s a very complicated issue,” DuBois notes. “If you magically shut down the immune system, you will have problems with opportunistic infections, just like with AIDS.” Use of TNF blockers in other inflammatory disorders has been linked to tuberculosis and other infections, even potentially lymphoma. Moreover, inhibiting the NF-KB pathway can paradoxically promote cancer in some instances. Constraining NF-KB can at times lead to tissue damage and a process of abnormal regeneration of that tissue that can foster cancer.
Still, it seems likely that a new generation of anti-inflammatory agents will join the chemotherapeutic arsenal. Chronic diseases—and their underlying inflammatory conditions—are hallmarks of an aging population. “We’re all a little bit overinflamed,” Pollard observes. Treating the smoldering embers that surround the tumor rather than just mutant cells could make cancer a disease we can live with.
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Add CommentThis actually is not new news.. the theoretical model in Traditional Chinese Medicine ascribes the precursor to cancers as being "heat toxins" which can be loosely described as free radicals causing an inflammatory response in the body. A survey of herbal treatments for this condition may provide indicators for new pharmacologically active compounds that could prevent/protect the body from carcinogenic cellular growth
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMany of the parasites which can colonise the human body influence our immune systems and dampen our inflammatory response to make us more hospitable hosts. I wonder are there any such organisms already producing their own ready-made pharmaceuticals which we could benefit from in this way to make us less susceptible to cancers and other inflammation-mediated disorders?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMany physicians believe that cellular inflammation is the basis for many of the common degenerative diseases that are impacting our population. With a host of information on anti-inflammatory supplements and diet guides, it just makes sense to pursue an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere are indeed therapies based on helminths (hookworms) that offer promise. Sadly, however, this has not received much funding or media attention, likely because of the aversion of some to the idea of having living parasites in their body. The University of Iowa and Nottingham University in the UK have been two centers of study for helminth therapy.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHopefully soon helminth therapy will become more widely studied and available.
Thank you for such a great summary of Chronic Inflammation in Cancer study. It is very use to take information from cross-disciplines and apply it to your research such as Tissue Engineering/Regenerating tissues. Interestingly macrophage polarization determines positive regeneration or chronic inflammation and some of the information obtained in cancer studies can be borrowed to regenerate tissues & organs.
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