In a news release, Marcus Peter, the study’s lead scientist at Northwestern University, shared, "It’s like committing suicide by stabbing yourself, shooting yourself and jumping off a building all at the same time."
Peter believes that the mechanism through which these cells destroy themselves could be what he has coined an "ancient kill switch." The scientist thinks that this could be what prevented the extinction of multi-cellular organisms from cancer several million years ago before the organisms developed immune systems to fight off the disease.
Via a phone interview with Mic, he revealed that the treatment is "based on mechanisms that are active in every cell, that scientists like me have been studying for a long time." Peter added that the group is under the impression that they understand how the kill switch works, and that it is possible to control the mechanism and use it in an unprecedented way. (Related: Surviving Cancer 16 years later–everything new is well forgotten old.)
Peter et al. introduced a type of ribonucleic acid to cancer cells, which, like DNA, is "a vital molecule essential for life." The RNAs changed the way they behave. Peter and his team determined that some of these special strands of "small interfering RNAs," which can be used to silence genes, triggered the “ancient kill switch” theorized in the news release, which made the cancer cells commit suicide.
The sequences of RNA killed the cells by "simultaneously eliminating the genes required for cell survival," per the news release. Once the survivor genes are eliminated, the assassin molecule triggers multiple death cell pathways in parallel. Peter calls this mechanism "death induced by survival gene elimination."
While the early results are favorable, Peter has set realistic expectations. Peter and his team are currently in the process of improving their method for clinical human trials. This will take a lot of work, and a lot of funding will be needed to complete their research.
Further studies will take time, but Peter is aware of the "burden of cancer," which is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, per the World Health Organization (WHO).
He commented, "The worst thing that happens when you hint at an upcoming treatment is that I’m going to get drowned in emails from all over the world — it has already started — from desperate people whose wife, husband, grandfather has been diagnosed and they’re pleading for help and volunteering themselves for clinical trials." Peter concluded, "It happens every time, and every time, believe me, I’m sitting there, crying. This is the worst part of going public."
Natural remedies to prevent cancer
Don't wait for that dreaded news from your doctor. Try these natural remedies to prevent cancer:
- Maintain a healthy and comfortable weight -- Fat is a metabolically active tissue, and the fat in our body is not inert. The metabolic activity of our fat cells is one reason why body weight can influence our cancer risk.
- Go organic -- All sorts of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides have carcinogenic qualities. To reduce your risk of future cancer, minimize your exposure to chemicals that are cancer-promoting.
- Eat lots of alkalizing and anti-inflammatory foods -- Inflammation is bad for your health, and it can increase your risk of developing cancer.
- Drink fresh juice -- Freshly squeezed vegetable juice is a good way to "flood" your cells with the nutrients you need so for your body can function optimally. Juices are also alkalizing, which can help reduce cancer risk.
You can read more articles about natural remedies to prevent cancer and other natural cures at Healing.news.
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