Authors
Kennedy RS. Konok GP. Bounous G. Baruchel S. Lee TD.
Institution
Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Title
The use of a whey
protein concentrate in the
treatment of patients with metastatic carcinoma: a phase I-II clinical study.
Source
Anticancer Research. 15(6B):2643-9, 1995 Nov-Dec.
Abstract
Glutathione (GSH) concentration is high in most tumour cells and this may be
an important factor in resistance to chemotherapy. Previous
in-vitro and animal experiments have shown a differential response of tumour
versus normal cells to various cysteine delivery systems. More specifically,
an in-vitro assay showed that at concentrations that induce GSH
synthesis in normal human cells, a specially prepared
whey protein concentrate,
Immunocal, caused GSH depletion and inhibition of
proliferation in human breast cancer cells. On the basis of
this information five patients with metastatic carcinoma of
the breast, one of the pancreas and one of
the liver were fed 30 grams of this whey
protein concentrate daily for six months.
In six patients the blood lymphocyte GSH levels were
substantially above normal at the outset, reflecting high
tumour GSH levels. Two patients (:1, :3) exhibited signs of tumour
regression, normalization of haemoglobin and peripheral lymphocyte counts and
a sustained drop of lymphocyte GSH levels towards normal. Two patients (:2,
:7) showed stabilisation of the tumour, increased
haemoglobin levels. In three patients (:4, :5, :6,) the
disease progressed with a trend toward higher lymphocyte GSH levels.
These results indicate that whey
protein concentrate might deplete tumour
cells of GSH and render them more vulnerable to
chemotherapy.