Inflammation and Cancer

Generation of an inflammatory micro-environment is not only a major risk factor for heart disease but according to the recent Life Extension Daily Bulletin (Jan 17, 2009) it may also be the main etiological factor for the metastatic spread of lung cancer. Using both mouse and human lung cancer models, scientists (U. of California, San Diego) not only describe the mechanism, viz. macrophage activation by a secreted protein to stimulate inflammation, but they also identified the protein, called versican and found a very large amount in aggressive human lung tumors.

We also know that nucleated blood cells especially lymphocytes play an active role in AIDS. And that is the reason for this blog

At the Kildonan Institute of Gerontology over a 15 year period - the private lab was dissolved in the early 1990's because of lack of funds - I studied the behavior of lymphocytes and macrophages in tissue culture using time lapse cinephotomicrography and recorded over 30,000 feet on 16 mm color film.

The procedure was somewhat technical using hanging drop preparations, phase contrast microscopy, a temperature controlled environment and a Sage time lapse unit. I used cells from people of different ages obtained by veni-puncture. I compared their cellular behavior, viz. movement, ability to divide after stimulation with PHA (phytohaemoagglutin) etc., hoping to find behavioral differences that might explain aging at the cellular level.

We already knew from the work of Hayflick and Moorehead that a correlation existed between the number of times cells will divide in tissue culture to their chronological age. The Microbiological Laboratory - level 4 - located in Winnipeg may wish to explore the possibility of using this equipment which was transferred to the St. Boniface Hospital Research laboratory after dissolution of the laboratory in 1994.

In the meantime I am now in the process of editing and converting the above film to digital.