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Metarobics and Cancer

9/23/2016

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I am still travelling and meeting with people related to collaborations and support for the Metarobic Institute, so I am posting a section from the chapter on cancer from my book “Tai Chi Therapy: The Science of Metarobics,” in honor of National Cancer Awareness Month. I begin with an overview of the work of Dr. Otto Warburg, who received the Nobel Prize in medicine for his work on cancer and hypoxia. His work was later discredited as “irrelevant,” and then some decades later doctors realized he was on the right track, and hypoxia and cancer is now a major focus of research. Considering the difficulty I have had in getting my work recognized by the medical community, I relate to Dr. Warburg’s frustrations. In any event, below is a section from chapter three, “Metarobics and Cancer.” For the entire chapter and additional supporting research, as well as over 50 case stories, please see my book, available on Amazon.com.
 
During my research, I came across the works of Nobel Prize winner Otto Warburg (1). He found that among the primary types of cancer, affecting over 70% of cancer patients, oxygen restriction seemed to play a critical role. He observed that cancer grew in areas deprived of oxygen, documenting that tumor cells develop a modified sugar based metabolism (glycolysis), rather than oxygen based metabolism, with hypoxic (oxygen deficient) areas surrounding the tumor site. It is not known why cancer cells do this, but current research is offering support that beneficial effects occur from boosting oxygen levels around tumors, which may permit more efficient delivery of chemotherapy and the body’s own healing agents.
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Tai Chi and Qi Gong Helped Me Battle Lymphoma

 
Helen Liu had a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma. Chemotherapy failed to eliminate the cancer, and her doctor felt she had only about two weeks left to live. Her father, a famous Kung Fu master (Liang Shou-yu) began Helen on an intensive practice of Qi Gong, Tai Chi, meditation, and alternative forms of Chinese and Western medicine. Helen states: “I was more relaxed, and I was doing Qi Gong and Tai Chi with my dad every day. We’d go out and do all kinds of Qi Gong because it’s good for you to stay outside and get a lot of oxygen. That’s supposed to kill cancer cells.” With all the practices she engaged in, it would be hard to single out Tai Chi and Qi Gong, but for a long time it was a focus of her practice, and is still a regular part of her life 17 years later.
 
(From Martha Burr, Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine).
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Part of this research is the work being done at the Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue University (2). Dr. Maleki and colleagues developed a device based on the idea of enhancing tumor oxygenation. The team created an ultrasonically powered micro oxygen generator (IMOG) which can be implanted at the site of the tumor. The IMOG device generates oxygen at the site of the tumor, boosting the cancer fighting power of radiation and chemotherapy. The IMOG device has been used with significant effects in pancreatic tumors in mice, generating oxygen and shrinking tumors faster than without the device.
 
That enhanced tumor oxygenation resulted in tumor shrinkage, even if only through assisting the effectiveness of radiation and chemotherapy, demonstrates promise for Tai Chi as a cancer preventive and cancer therapy adjunct (keeping in mind to use it in conjunction with prescribed therapies). It is possible that Tai Chi may generate a similar effect, by increasing blood oxygen saturation and diffusion, and maximizing the body’s own natural cancer fighting ability.
 
Other studies conducted at the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center noted that the bone marrow microenvironment contains hypoxic areas which inhibit anti-leukemia drugs (3).  Acute lympho-blastic leukemia cells result in marked expansion of hypoxic bone marrow areas, which results in chemoresistance. The authors noted that under conditions of normal oxygen saturation, effectiveness of various forms of chemotherapy was tied to oxygen level, and effectiveness dropped in direct relation to low oxygen levels. Researchers suggest that drugs which target hypoxia may help eliminate leukemia cells within hypoxic areas, and may significantly improve leukemia therapy.
 
Although Metarobic exercises may not have a target specific effect on lymphoblastic leukemia cells, benefits for cancer care reported in the case stories in this book, as well as theoretical elements related to enhanced blood oxygen saturation, diffusion and enhanced oxygen based metabolism, suggests that these exercises may have a general overall effect on the cancer fighting ability of the body, and may enhance chemo and radiation therapy, at least at a general level (also supported by the uniform reports of benefits for pain management reported by cancer and other patients who practice Tai Chi).
 
Indeed, it has been further noted that with the central role hypoxia plays in tumor development and resistance to therapy, that tumor hypoxia may be most valuable and most effective area to target in combating cancer (4). This suggests that exercises which focus on enhancing oxygen saturation and diffusion throughout the entire body may have at least some effect on combating cancer and other chronic conditions. Needless to say, this would need extensive research to validate and determine exact effects. Of the dozen people in the case stories in this book who reported significant benefits during their cancer treatment, it must be asked, if you had 100 patients with the same form of cancer, who all practiced specific user friendly forms of Tai Chi, Qi Gong or other Metarobic exercises (and addressing dosage, in the form of frequency and duration of practice), what percentage would benefit and to what degree?
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The Amazing Results of Qi Gong
 
“Five years ago, I was found to have cancer. I had a tumor on my larynx and throughout the five weeks of super-voltage radiation, I practiced The Eight Precious Sets of Exercises known to the Chinese as Ba Duan Jin. This was not only a great source of physical and mental wellbeing, but it produced tangible and somewhat amazing results. Exposure to intense radiation is expected to have its negative side effects…weight loss, loss of appetite, loss of sleep and a general downturn in spirit are the most typical. I am glad to say that at no time did I experience any of these. Even case hardened doctors and nurses were impressed and asked me to demonstrate the Precious Set of Eight. Today at 50 I am fit, healthy and a great believer in these exercises. I have no way of proving how much their daily practice had to do with my recovery, but I do know that they have given me a new outlook and renewed vitality.”
 
– Geoff Pike (From “The Power of Qi”).
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The literature on cancer research abounds with studies related to the effects, impact, or implications of hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) and cancer. Research has documented that tumors result in hypoxic areas, due to growth distancing tumor cells from the surrounding capillaries (5,6). Solid tumors often have large areas of acute and chronic hypoxia, which is associated with aggressive tumor expansion and poor outcomes for radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Re-oxygenation is an important aspect of tumor therapy and positive response to therapy (5). Metarobic theory suggests that enhanced blood diffusion may decrease levels of hypoxia around tumor sites, and increase oxygen levels in hypoxic areas.
 
For more research, including research on Tai Chi, see: “Tai Chi Therapy: The Science of Metarobics,” available on Amazon.com. To order the book, click the above links, or click HERE.
 
References
1.      Pederson PL. Warburg, me and hexokinase 2: multiple discoveries of key molecular events underlying one of cancers’ most common phenotypes, the “Warburg effect”. i.e. Elevated glycolysis in the presence of oxygen. Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes 2007;39:211-222.
2.      Maleki T, Cao N, Song S, Kao C, Ko SC, Ziaie B. An ultrasonically-powered implantable micro oxygen generator (IMOG). IEEE Transactions Biomedical Engineering Journal; 2011; 58(11): 3104-3111.
3.    Benito J, Shi Y, Szymanska B, Carol H, Boehm I, et al. (2011) Pronounced Hypoxia in Models of Murine and Human Leukemia: High Efficacy of Hypoxia-Activated Prodrug PR-104. PLoS ONE 6(8): e23108. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023108
4.    Wilson WR1, Hay MP. Targeting hypoxia in cancer therapy. Nat Rev Cancer. 2011 Jun;11(6):393-410. doi: 10.1038/nrc3064
5.      Brahimi-Horn MC, Chiche J, Pouyssegur J. Hypoxia and cancer. Journal of Molecular Medicine; 2007; 85:1301-1307
6.      Xue M, Kong, FM, Yu, J. Implementation of hypoxia measurement into lung cancer therapy. Lung Cancer;2012; 75: 146-150.

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Metarobic Theory, Cancer, and Telomeres – The Health and Longevity Hidden in Our DNA

9/11/2016

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Last month I shared a brief overview of my own journey with Tai Chi and Qigong. I mentioned the importance of considering dosage (frequency and duration of practice), which was an important factor in overcoming my own situation with celiac neuropathy. This is very relevant to cancer treatment, since current studies on Tai Chi and cancer have patients learning (which can be very different from doing) Tai Chi two to three times a week for an hour or so (1). Benefits have been reported for pain and improved quality of life (which is still a great benefit), but no direct effects on the cancer itself were observed. This contrasts greatly with the reports of my own students with cancer, as well as from many of the case stories I have collected. Metarobic theory and addressing dosage supports potential direct benefits for cancer (1). Many of these case stories document daily Tai Chi practice, with some doing these exercises multiple times a day. Helen Liang stated that her father was having her do as much as eight hours of practice a day, when conventional cancer treatment failed (she was given two weeks to live). She survived, and now over 17 years later, is happily teaching these exercises. I am stressing the importance of dosage due to these cases, as well as my own experiences with celiac neuropathy, as an important area to research.
 
It is sometimes difficult to tell how much medication versus Tai Chi is making the difference. In the case of the cancer patients, chemo and radiation therapy had failed. Since their condition did not reverse or improve until they started Tai Chi and/or forms of Qigong, it seems likely that these exercises were having significant effect (although one should never stop or replace any doctor’s treatment or prescribed medications. Metarobic exercises can enhance conventional treatment, and the cancer patients used these exercises in conjunction with their treatment). Metarobic effects may help combat hypoxia (a major complication in treating cancer), by enhancing oxygen based metabolism and oxygen diffusion (1). This is critical for healing (see “Tai Chi Therapy: The Science of Metarobics” for a detailed overview of the role of hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) in cancer and other chronic conditions).
 
New research supports that Metarobic benefits for health, aging and longevity may be tied to the effects of enhanced oxygen based metabolism and diffusion on telomerase production. This can also affect cancer (2). Over the course of our lives, telomeres are lost every time cells divide. And cells have a limited number of times they can divide. When they lose this ability through the course of aging (called replicative senescence), they can no longer replicate and become enlarged. Prematurely shortened telomeres lead to cell death and aging. Telomeres are end caps on our chromosomes, which delay this process. Longer end caps are associated with longer life spans and improved health. Modern medicine is looking at drugs and medication which can preserve telomere length. But aside from medications, there is also evidence that Metarobic effects generated by a relaxed physiological state, and the focus on the breath in Tai Chi, Qigong, and even in seated meditation, may also affect telomere length(3).
 
Telomerase is a factor in this. Telomerase replaces lost telomeres during cell division, preserving function and slowing aging. But unrestricted, it can lead to uncontrolled growth, as with cancer. At times a condition called “crisis” leads to cells continuing to attempt to divide, leading to significant cell death (apoptosis) and cancer growth. In this case, too much telomerase may act in cancer development to sustain the growth of cancer, by allowing indefinite cell division. The science is complex and would take pages to go into in detail. But in short, health, telomere length, telomerase, cell death, and uncontrolled cell division are all interlinked. With normal aging, telomeres shorten with each cell division, with telomerase levels controlled. With cancer growth, shortened telomeres are subjected to uncontrolled telomerase. Telomerase has been found to be 10-20 times more active in cancer than in normal cells (4).
 
So what does this have to do with Tai Chi, Metarobic theory, and health? As noted above, Telomerase is not particularly active in normal cells, but is hyperactive in nearly all cancers. Studies have found that stress can result in increased telomerase release, and the shortening of telomeres (3). Meditation, including moving forms of meditation, can help offset hypoxia, in addition to reducing stress (1). Furthermore, Glycolysis (sugar based metabolism, characteristic of cancer, as opposed to oxygen based metabolism in normal cells) is linked to hypoxia (low oxygen conditions), which can increase telomerase activity to the rampant levels prevalent in cancer (5). Put simply, stress results in a highly reactive physiological state, as well as tense muscles which further impacts oxygen in the body, inhibiting the body’s ability to heal itself (6). Metarobic theory supports that meditative practices (which include a focus on relaxation and the breath) enhance blood oxygen saturation, diffusion and oxygen based metabolism, which helps combat hypoxia and maximizes optimal cell functioning (1). This may include optimal telomerase activation and maximized telomere length.
 
Doctor Elizabeth Blackburn shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology of Medicine for discovering how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase, with Carol Greider and Jack Szostak. In a Scientific American interview, she discussed the effects of telomerase on telomeres and aging (7). Dr. Blackburn noted that telomerase helps prevent the shortening of the telomeres, and thus acts as an anti-aging enzyme. However, she also notes that too much telomerase can help confer immortality to cancer cells, and actually increases the likelihood of cancer. She further notes that too little telomerase can also increase cancer, by affecting the healthy regenerative potential of the body. To reduce cancer risk and enhance optimal health, the body needs an ideal level of telomerase. Complimentary exercises such as Tai Chi, Qigong, meditation and related exercises can achieve this naturally, theoretically maximizing optimal effects through a Metarobic response. This is important to consider, in that trying to affect telomerase levels artificially through drugs is not yet a precise science, in an area in which Dr. Blackburn states does not have a whole lot of room for error. Further support for a Metarobic approach relates to factors listed by Dr. Blackburn, which included oxidative stress. Prolonged elevation of stress hormones or prolonged inflammation can increase oxidative stress, which relates to Metarobic theory. She notes that higher levels of psychological stress (which increases oxidative stress) results in premature cell aging. The end effect is that a person even in their 30s or 40s exposed to high levels of oxidative stress may show signs of aging in their cells.
 
Dr. Blackburn also participated in a review of literature relevant to using meditative or mindfulness based practices to reduce the effects of stress, and the relationship to telomere length and the aging process (3). The review concluded that there is considerable support that mindfulness based practices (which would include Tai Chi), may have beneficial effects on telomere length. The primary mechanisms identified included reduction of cognitive stress and stress arousal, as well as increased positive states of mind, and hormonal factors which may promote telomere maintenance (such as through optimal levels of telomerase). All of these factors would relate to Metarobic theory, optimal oxygen based metabolism, and potential effects on hypoxia, as noted above. Tai Chi and related exercises are reputed in China to be exercises of immortality and longevity. Science is proving that the “immortals” of China may have the right idea – relax, breath, and let your body function at its optimal, uninhibited by stress and tension.
 
References
 
1. Gryffin PA. Tai Chi Therapy: The Science of Metarobics. Createspace, Seattle; 2015.
 
2. Shay JW, Wright WE. Role of telomeres and telomerase in cancer. Semin Cancer Biol. 2011 Dec; 21(6): 349–353.
 
3. Epel E, Daubenmier J, Moskowitz JT, Folkman S, Blackburn E. Can meditation slow rate of cellular aging? Cognitive stress, mindfulness, and telomeres. Acad Sci. 2009 Aug; 1172:34-53.
 
4. Shay/Wright Lab. Facts about Telomeres and Telomerase. http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/labs/shay-wright/research/facts-about-telomeres-telomerase.html. Retrieved September 9th, 2016.
 
5. Bagheri S, Nosrati M, Li S, et al. Genes and pathways downstream of telomerase in melanoma metastasis. PNAS. 2006 (103) 30: 11306–11311
 
6. Gouina JP, Kiecolt-Glasera JK. The Impact of Psychological Stress on Wound Healing: Methods and Mechanisms. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2011 Feb; 31(1): 81–93.
 
7. Rehman J. Aging: Too Much Telomerase Can Be As Bad As Too Little. Scientific American. Online, July 5, 2014. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/aging-too-much-telomerase-can-be-as-bad-as-too-little/ Retrieved September 9th, 2016.
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