Video Overview & Chapters

How to target Glutamine as a Cancer Source with Dr. Thomas Targeting GlutamineGlutamine is the most abundant amino acid in your body, meaning it’s a crucial component of the proteins that make up your muscles, tissues, and organs. But glutamine’s role goes beyond just being a building block. It’s also a versatile energy source for certain cells, especially those in your gut… Read More to Deprive TumorA tumor is a lump or abnormal mass of tissue that grows in the body. It’s like a bump that shouldn’t be there. While some tumors are harmless, others can be serious and even life-threatening. Here’s a breakdown to help you understand them better: The Root of the Word: The… Read More CellsThe cell is the basic building block of the human body, a tiny, microscopic (too small to see without a magnifying tool like a microscope) unit that works together with billions of other cells to form every part of the body, from the skin to the heart. Each cell is… Read More: Expert Insights by Dr. Thomas SeyfriedA Boston College professor specializing in cancer biology and metabolic theory, participated in a groundbreaking study..

00:07 Glutamine is essential for immune systemYour immune system is like your body’s own personal security force, constantly on guard against invaders like germs (bacteria, viruses, etc.). It’s a complex network of organs, cells, and proteins that work together to protect you from getting sick. But here’s the surprising thing: a healthy immune system can also… Read More and gutThe intestine is a long, winding tube in the body that plays a very important role in helping the body get the energy and nutrients (good parts from food) it needs to work properly. Think of the intestine like a very busy workshop in a factory, where different workers have… Read More health.

• Glutamine, which can be synthesized from glucoseGlucose, a simple sugar (a sweet substance the body uses for energy), serves as a vital component in the human body, acting as the primary fuel for cells (tiny units that make up the body). Imagine the body as a bustling factory, where glucose is like the electricity powering the… Read More, is the most abundant amino acidAmino acids are the tiny building blocks that make up proteins, which are essential for almost every process in your body. Think of them like Legos – different combinations of these small pieces can create all sorts of structures, from simple toys to complex buildings. Similarly, different combinations of amino… Read More in our bloodstream.
• Glutamine plays a crucial role in the urea cycle and is considered important for overall immune system and gut function.

00:52 Glutamine can be targeted as a cancerImagine your body as a well-organized society, where each cell plays a specific role. Cancer disrupts this harmony, as a group of cells goes rogue, breaking the rules of normal growth and function. These renegade cells multiply uncontrollably, forming tumors that invade and damage surrounding tissues. Origins of the Word… Read More source

• Glutamine is essential for certain physiological systems, but there is no food that can deprive you of it
• Water-only fastingFasting simply means abstaining from food, and sometimes drinks, for a set period. It’s a practice observed across cultures and throughout history, for various reasons. What is fasting? Think of fasting as giving your body a break from eating. Instead of using the food you just ate for energy, your… Read More with exercise can lower bloodBlood is the life force coursing through your veins and arteries, delivering vital oxygen and nutrients to every cell in your body while whisking away waste products. It’s a complex, dynamic fluid—not just a simple red liquid. Consider it a bustling highway system within your body, carrying various cellular vehicles… Read More glutamine levels significantly, which may impact tumor cells

01:40 Targeting Glutamine to slow cancer cells progression.

• Pulsing tumor cells with glutamine to degrade them gradually.
• Long-termChronic simply means “happening over a long period of time” or “of long duration.” Imagine a situation that keeps going on and on, unlike something short-lived. • Other Names: You might not encounter many other terms for chronic in everyday conversation. In some specific contexts, terms like “long-term” or “persistent”… Read More water fasting may help some people in cancer remission.

02:24 Body can use tumor cells as food during fasting

• Body turns on tumor cells as a food source during fasting.
• Tumor cells are inefficient consumers of energy.

03:04 Putting the body under restricted conditions can trigger the surveillance system to target and destroy tumor cells.

• Restrictive conditions lead to tumor cell destruction and redistribution of fuel.
• Stress, whether emotional or physical, can impact blood sugarBlood sugar, also known as blood glucose, is a type of simple sugar circulating in your bloodstream. It can be a primary source of energy for your cells. Your body can get blood sugar from carbohydrates that you eat. The Word “Blood Sugar” This term is a modern invention, emerging… Read More levels and corticosteroids.

03:49 Targeting glutamine as a cancer source

• Stress management is an important therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment, alongside dietary and drug-based methods targeting glutamine.
• Emotional stress reduction is crucial for the body’s overall healing ability, in addition to fuel deprivation caused by diet and drugs targeting glutamine.

04:36 Targeting glucose is crucial for using a powerful cancer therapyTherapy is a broad term encompassing various treatment approaches aimed at improving health and well-being. It’s like a toolkit with various tools designed to address specific ailments and promote healing. While often associated with mental health, therapy extends far beyond the mind, encompassing physical and medical treatments as well. Etymology… Read More drug.

• Patients were given high dosages of the drug without targeting glucose, resulting in misuse and negative outcomes.
• The drug should be a part of cancer therapy cocktails, but bureaucratic challenges hinder patient access.

05:13 Challenges in accessing potentially beneficial drugs for cancer patients

• State and Federal paperwork hurdles can hinder access to drugs even for compassionate use
• Financial incentives play a role in limiting availability of off-patent drugs with therapeutic potential

Glutamine is considered a non-essential amino acidA Deep Dive into pH, Health, and Everyday Life Have you ever puckered your lips after biting into a lemon or felt a burning sensation in your chest after a spicy meal? That’s the tangy sensation of acidity in action. While we often associate acidity with food and taste, it’s… Read More mainly because the body can synthesize it from sugarSugar is a substance represented as a simple carbohydrate (a basic type of molecule made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen) that serves as a vital component throughout the body. It is the primary source of energy for most cells, acting like the body’s main fuel. Every part of the body,… Read More, specifically glucose. It’s the most abundant amino acid in our bloodstream. If you were to have an amino acid analysis of your blood, glutamine would be the number one amino acid present.

Despite being non-essential, glutamine is essential for several processes:

• The Urea Cycle: Glutamine plays a crucial role in this metabolicMetabolism is the set of chemical processes that happen inside the body to keep it alive and working. Think of the body as a busy kitchen where food is turned into energy, building blocks, and waste. These processes break down food to release energy, build new cells, and remove unwanted… Read More process.
• Immune Function: Glutamine is an essential metabolite for our immune system.
• Gut Health: It’s also critical for the health and function of our gut.

You need this amino acid, even though it’s classified as non-essential. There is no food that you can eat that would completely deprive you of glutamine. Your body will make it from sugar if necessary.

Water-only fasting with exercise can lower blood glutamine levels significantly. However, can fasting deprive tumor cells, which heavily rely on glutamine, to a lethal degree? This requires caution. That’s why the “pulsing concept” is crucial – hitting cancer cells with brief periods of deprivation to gradually kill them off.

By “pulsing” both glucose and glutamine restriction, tumor cells are gradually degraded while maintaining the health and vitality of your body. It’s true that some people achieve complete remission from various cancers after long-term water-only fasting and exercise. This demonstrates the body’s ability to turn on tumor cells and use them as food when other sources are scarce.

During this process, the body enters a state of heightened internal surveillance. Every cell must contribute productively to the whole. Tumor cells, being massively inefficient energy consumers, become targets for destruction. Their components are then redistributed to support the rest of the body.

It’s important to note that standard cancer treatments like chemotherapyChemotherapy (often shortened to “chemo”) is a type of cancer treatment that uses powerful medicine to destroy cancer cells. It works by stopping or slowing down the growth of fast-dividing cells, and cancer cells happen to grow and divide much faster than most healthy cells. Cellular Growth: • Our body… Read More or radiationRadiation is invisible energy that moves around like super-fast waves or tiny packets of energy. It’s kind of like when you feel the heat from a campfire, even if you’re not touching the fire. Where did the word come from? The word “radiation” has its roots in an old language… Read More can cause blood sugar levels to rise dramatically. This increased sugar production fuels the body’s glutamine synthesis. Emotional or physical stress also elevates corticosteroids, which is not ideal for cancer management.

That’s why the press-pulsePress-pulse therapy (PPT) is a promising therapeutic strategy that aims to exploit the unique metabolic vulnerabilities of cancer cells. It’s a two-pronged approach that combines continuous metabolic stress (“press”) with intermittent, intense metabolic disruptions (“pulse”). This strategy seeks to starve cancer cells of their preferred fuel sources while simultaneously boosting… Read More therapeutic strategy incorporates stress management alongside dietary restrictions and potentially small-molecule drugs that target glutamine. This multi-pronged approach enhances the body’s ability to heal itself.

Currently, one of the most powerful drugs for targeting glutamine is 6-Diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON)The term 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine, often abbreviated as DON, refers to a specialized chemical compound (a substance made of specific molecules) with significant roles in medical and biochemical (relating to the chemistry of living organisms) research, particularly in understanding processes in the human body. This compound is a glutamine antagonist (a substance… Read More. Used in research for years, it was previously deemed too toxic“Toxic” means something that’s poisonous or really harmful. It’s like something bad that can make you sick or even hurt you. Where did the word come from? A long, long time ago, people who used bows and arrows would put poison on the arrow tips to hunt animals or fight… Read More due to incorrect dosages and a lack of understanding of its synergy with glucose restriction.

DON, when used correctly, should be a standard part of cancer treatment cocktails. Unfortunately, bureaucracy makes compassionate use extremely difficult. This is tragic, as this off-patent drug holds significant therapeutic potential but is inaccessible due to the lack of potential profit.