Gioblastoma and Colostrum


Colostrum and Glioblastoma

Dear consumer,

Your inquiry regarding the potential benefits of routine dietarysupplementation with a high quality bovine colostrum product, like that distributed by Immune-Tree, in an individual with glioblastoma that is resistant to radiation andchemotherapy has been forwarded to me. I am a business and technology consultant withextensive knowledge and experience regarding the formation of bovine colostrum and itsapplications in humans and animals.

Forty to fifty percent of tumors of the central nervous system are gliomas, with approximately50% of these being glioblastoma multiforme. This type of tumor occurs most frequently in adultsbetween 50-80 years of age, but can occur in younger adults and does develop in children. Thetumor most commonly forms in the frontal lobes of the brain and spreads into the surroundingtissue forming a characteristic "butterfly" pattern when viewed by magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). The most common symptom is headache, with other complications depending upon thelocation of the tumor and the extent of its growth.

When you were about 13 years old, your body's health support mechanisms began to deteriorate.Before puberty, when you were just a young child, the very foundation of your immune systemwas being established by a small gland-like structure in the upper chest, the thymus. It is withinthis structure that the cells mature that will determine the appropriate type of response thatyour immune system should mount after an insult and then cells from the same source willregulate the quality and intensity of that response. Cells from a properly functioning thymus arealso responsible for screening the body for abnormal cells, such as those associated with thedevelopment of early stage malignancies. After puberty, the thymus begins to shrink andultimately almost disappears by age 50-60. So, although the immune system develops moreimmunologic memory with time, it gradually loses the ability to efficiently and effectivelyorchestrate and direct the actual immune response itself and afford protection to the body.Scientific studies have shown that insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), a major component of highquality bovine colostrum, and the IGF superfamily of proteins can restore and maintain a fullyfunctional thymus, even in adults. In addition, colostrum contains the alpha and beta chains ofthe hormone thymosin that act independently and in concert to regulate the functions of thethymus. Further, the proline-rich peptide (PRP) in colostrum is known to down-regulate theimmune system and keep the response to a foreign substance under control. Other studies haveshown that including only small amounts of colostrum in the daily diet of adult animalssignificantly enhances the ability of their white blood cells to respond to infection and destroyinvading bacteria.

There are also very small quantities of growth hormone in complete first milking colostrum, butgrowth hormone is an extremely potent hormone and, thus, not much is required. It directlyaffects almost every cell in the body and significantly influences the development of new,healthy cells, causing them to generate at a more rapid rate when a sufficient quantity of thehormone is present. Scientific studies have shown that one of the benefits of ingesting even smallamounts of growth hormone is limitation of the deterioration of cells associated with the agingprocess. In addition, more recent studies have shown that small doses of growth hormone canaccelerate the repair of damaged cells.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its closely related counterpart insulin-like growthfactor-2 (IGF-2) are potent hormones that are found in association with almost every cell in thebody. IGF-1 is the most potent and best described of this pair. These molecules are present in allmammals and, in every case, have a very similar chemical structure regardless of the species.IGF-1 is absolutely necessary for normal cell growth and for the development of the fetus in theuterus. Both IGF-1 and growth hormone are also required for normal development outside of theuterus and that is why they are both present in colostrum.

Scientific knowledge about the IGFs, what they do and how they act on cells in the body, hasdeveloped very quickly during the past few years. It is now known that there are specific sites,called receptors, on almost all cells in the body capable of interacting with IGF-1. These siteshave a structure that fits perfectly with part of the IGF molecule and this interaction triggers aseries of chemical events within the cell. There are also 6 different proteins present inside thecell and on the surface of the cell that react to the attachment of IGF-1 to its receptor. These arecalled insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) and they control the actions of IGF-1 on the cell. In addition, inside the cell there are at least 87 other related proteins either capableof binding to IGF-1, altering its actions, or influencing the effects of the IGFBPs. These arecalled insulin-like growth factor binding protein-related proteins (IGFBP-rPs). The entirecollection of these proteins is referred to as the Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein(IGFBP) Superfamily. The key event that triggers the effects of any of these proteins appears tobe the interaction of IGF-1 with its specific cell-surface receptor, an event that some of theseproteins regulate.

The multitude of available IGF-1binding proteins and related proteins available in the cell isindicative of the many potential effects that the binding of IGF-1 to its specific cell-surfacereceptor can have on cells. To keep these many effects under control, some of the bindingproteins act as checks and balances, allowing the secondary chemical switches in a cell to beturned on and then turning them off when it is appropriate. Therefore, IGF-1 is like the captainof a ship. When it binds to its specific receptor, the ship can move forward, but there are allkinds of systems in place to keep it moving at the right speed and in the right direction.The main triggered events include activation of the process by which the cell grows andreproduces itself and maintenance of the metabolic pathways by which the cell converts glucoseinto glycogen and uses amino acids to create proteins. The actual pathway by which the cell usesglucose and converts it to glycogen is first switched on by the binding of insulin to its specificcell surface receptors. Glycogen is stored in the liver and muscles and is the reserve source ofreadily available energy when the muscles are exercised. The IGFBP Superfamily also has adirect role in how the cell uses amino acids to build proteins. As we age, the ability of our bodyto create an adequate supply of IGF-1 is diminished. Thus, by eating a well-balanced diet andmaintaining a constant supply of IGF-1 in our body, we can keep the ship moving at the rightspeed and in the right direction. As we age, the cells in our body do not reproduce themselves aswell and, since IGF-1 is a primary factor, along with growth hormone, in the ability of cells togrow and reproduce, it is highly desirable to have an appropriate level of IGF-1 in the circulationthrough dietary supplementation to limit the ever increasing rate of cell death.

Colostrum is an amazing resource of substances necessary to support the immune system,promote the development and repair of cells and tissues and to assure the effective and efficientmetabolism of nutrients. However, it is very important to recognize that all colostrum productsare not the same and, despite the claims made by their manufacturers, they do not all containevery beneficial component at an optimum concentration and, in many cases, they have beenmanipulated and may be missing some of the essential components. When choosing a colostrumproduct, you should be certain that it is made from only first milking bovine colostrum collectedwithin 6-8 hours after birth of the calf and that the colostrum is "complete" and that none of thecomponents have been removed, including the fat. I have personally been responsible for testingof several different brands of colostrum for human use and can attest that the results prove thatthe products distributed by Immune-Tree contain the highest quality complete bovine colostrumavailable today.


Ancell CD, Phipps J, Young L; Thymosin alpha-1, Am J Health Syst Pharm 2001; 58(10): 879-85.Aspinwall R, Andrew D, Pido-Lopez J; Age-associated changes in thymopoesis, Springer Semin Immunopathol2002; 24(1): 87-101.Binz K, et al; Repopulation of the atrophied thymus in diabetic rats by insulin-like growth factor-1, Proc Nat AcadSci 1990; 87(10): 3690-4.Clark R, et al; Insulin-like growth factor-1 stimulation of lymphopoesis, J Clin Invest 1993; 92(2): 540-8.Fry TJ, Mackall CL; Current concepts of thymic aging, Springer Semin Immunopathol 2002; 24(1): 7-22.Geffner M; Effects of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 on T- and B-lymphocytes and immunefunction, Acta Pediatr 1997; 423: 76-9.Hwa V, Oh Y, Rosenfeld RG; The insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) superfamily, Endocr Rev1999; 20(6): 761-87.LeRoith D, Insulin-like growth factor receptors and binding proteins, Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996; 10(1): 49-73.Pawelec G, et al; T cells and aging, Front Biosci 2002; 1(7): 1056-83.

I hope that the above answers your questions.

To your good health - always.


Alfred E. Fox, Ph.D.

r. Alfred E. Fox holds a Ph.D. from Rutgers University in Microbiology (Immunochemistry)and has more than 25 years of senior management experience at Carter-Wallace, Baxter DadeDivision and Warner-Lambert, where he was responsible for research and development andregulatory affairs. He was also the founder and president of two biotechnology companiesfocused on agribusiness and environmental monitoring, respectively. For the past 15 years, Dr.Fox has been the President of Fox Associates, a business and technology consulting firm servingsmall- to mid-size companies in the human and animal healthcare fields. He focuses primarilyon marketing and regulatory issues and for the past 10 years has continuously consulted tobovine colostrum manufacturers, where he has gained regulatory approval for their products,been a technical advisor, helped design and develop marketing strategies and served as anexpert witness in legal matters.

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