Immune Function in Cancer

Introduction

• Lecture Topic: Immune function in cancer
• Previous Topics: Mental, emotional, spiritual health, biorhythms, healthy microbiome balance
• Importance: Affecting two hallmarks of cancer - avoiding immune destruction and tumor-promoting inflammation

Objectives

• Decrease inflammation and oxidative stress
• Support immune surveillance and balanced anti-tumor response
• Role of Tumor Microenvironment (TME)

Healthy Immune System Characteristics

• Detective: Detect threats internally and externally
• Internally regulated: Ability to control immune response
• Restorative and tolerant: Restore balance and tolerate non-threatening antigens (e.g., self)

Inflammation and Cancer

• Inflammation's Role: Initiation, progression of cancer
• Infections and inflammation contribute to ~25% of cancer-causing factors
• Known infection links: Schistosomiasis, helicobacter, HPV, EBV
• Environmental pro-inflammatory factors: Asbestos, air pollution, inflammatory diseases

Inflammation Pathways

• DNA damage and oxidative stress from inflammation
• Positive feedback loop with transferrin and iron ions
• Impact on genome methylation

Key Molecules

• Cytokines: IL-6, IL-1, TNF-alpha
• COX-2 and eicosanoids
• Resolution mediators: Resolvins from omega-3
• NF-kappa-B and NLRP3 inflammasome
• Crosstalk with Nrf2 and STAT3

Cancer Progression and Metastasis

• Cytokines activate pathways required by cancer stem cells
• COX-2 and PGE2 signaling linked to poor prognosis in colorectal cancer
• STAT3 plays a role in inflammation regulation and cancer progression

Treatment Resistance

• Inflammation affects cancer resistance to treatments
• High IL-6 protects cancer cells from therapy-induced damage
• Chronic inflammation drives proliferation, angiogenesis, and immune suppression

Immune Microenvironment

• Tumor-killing immune microenvironment: Active NK cells, M1 macrophages, robust CD8 response
• Immune-suppressive microenvironment: MDSCs, M2 macrophages, suppressed NK cells
• Goal: Repolarize to tumor-killing microenvironment

Assessing Immune System in Cancer

• Key markers: Recurrent infections, autoimmune disease history, vitamin D status, gut immune axis
• Current treatments: Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy
• Inflammation tests: CRP, ESR, LDH, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR)

Inflammation and Immune Balance Testing

• Importance of inflammatory markers: CRP, LDH, vitamin D
• Use of NLR and PLR to assess immune balance
• Impact of inflammation on treatment response

Addressing Inflammation

• Identify root causes: Diet, microbiome, lifestyle factors
• Anti-inflammatory interventions: Whole food diet, omega-3 to omega-6 balance, antioxidants
• Lifestyle changes: Fasting, stress management, physical activity

Specific Interventions

• Omega-3, Vitamin D, Tocotrienols
• Common supplements: Curcumin, black cumin seed, willow bark, specific polyphenols
• Medicinal mushrooms and immune response support

Summary

• Goals: Decrease inflammation, support immune surveillance, anti-tumor response
• Assessments: Key markers, root cause identification
• Support: Anti-inflammatory diet, lifestyle interventions, medicinal supplements

These notes provide an overview of the lecture on immune function in cancer, covering the key points and detailed insights into how inflammation interacts with cancer progression and treatment.