Diagram showing the 3 different waves of immune modulating events after consuming an immune-modulating product.
reduction of disease, acute lung injury
EVENTS, CHRONIC VIRAL INFECTIONS, INFLAMMATION
The placebo-controlled cross-over study design, combined with the fixed time of the day in which the study took place, allowed us to evaluate the normal circadian changes for each study participant on the morning when they consumed placebo, and compare to changes on the day they consumed the APR extract.This study was conducted in healthy adults in the absence of an immune challenge and observed the increases in migration and alertness of the affected types of innate immune cells. We speculate that in the presence of a pathogenic insult the increased activation status and migration of innate immune cells would be accompanied by increased cytotoxic activity, leading to increased inflammatory and free radical stress. In that context, it is important to note that the consumption of the APR extract also was associated with anti-inflammatory properties, specifically a significant increase in the activity of two antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase and catalase. In a situation involving an immune challenge this increased antioxidant protection would limit the tissue damage associated with the active immune response and support an accelerated return to homeostasis. There was also a statistically significant increase at 2 hours in the growth factor G-CSF, a growth factor associated with stem cell mobilization [This clinical study is the first to document rapid effects of APR extract on rapid changes to immune surveillance and antioxidant protection in humans. Consuming the APR extract showed highly selective support of the innate immune system. At the cellular level, the initial events included increased immune cell alertness through expression of the activation marker CD25, followed at 2 hours by the expression of CD69 which demonstrates an increased preparedness for performing cytotoxic immune function [Previous research on the APR extract showed rapid effects in a mouse model, involving 100% survival after 36 hours after acute lung injury, in contrast to lower survival rates in mice treated with any of the single ingredients [Although the immune evaluations performed in this clinical trial were comprehensive and well-controlled, a future study should also include ex vivo challenges, where immune cells from the blood samples can be exposed to bacterial and viral mimetics in vitro, and the responses tested via cytokine profiling. In addition, based on the increased levels of the stem cell-mobilizing growth factor G-CSF, it would be of interest to document changes to stem cell mobilization and surveillance after consuming the APR extract. This would follow the same study design as previously used to document acute and transient stem cell effects by other nutraceuticals [The opportunity for supporting natural immune surveillance activities by nutraceutical methods has many implications, including preventive health and pro-active immune support. The benefits of consuming immune-supportive nutraceuticals could extend to people experiencing acute and chronic health problems. It is also an opportunity to mitigate or reduce the negative impact of psychological, physical, and environmental stress on immune health, as we see concerted biological communication and increased immune alertness and surveillance after consuming the APR extract. This should be the focus of additional research, such as reduction of disease severity in people with acute and chronic viral infections, to document whether nutraceutical products, such as the APR extract, could be effective tools to support and accelerate immune defense activity as well as repair and reduction of inflammation.