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MGN -3: CURE OR CURIOSITY?
The Question Persists!
by Emmalyn McAllister
Copyright 2000 All rights reserved.
MGN-3 is one of the latest "miracle health products" to hit the American marketplace. To
Dr. David Williams, D.C., editor of the newsletter, "ALTERNATIVES", MGN-3 is "the most powerful
immune stimulant man has uncovered so far….reversing cancer, hepatitis B and C, and diabetes, and improving immunological
parameters in patients with AIDS and Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction." 1 To the rest of us, inundated
as we are with similar claims from all sides, it is tempting to respond with rolling eyeballs and shaking heads.
But as the number of compelling case histories continues to rise, perhaps it is time for us (and our physicians)
to take another look at the outcomes in which MGN-3 has played an active role, and ask ourselves, "Is it possible
that Dr. Williams might be right?" Let's look at a few examples: 2
Dr. T. F., a 57-year-old physician diagnosed with colon cancer, Stage IV, with metastases to his liver, was told
by his oncologist that there was no cure, and that chemotherapy would only give him a little more time. After
a successful resection operation which removed tumors from his colon, the physician began chemotherapy and also
3 grams a day of MGN-3. Eight months later, his CAT scans and colonoscopies detected no sign of cancer in his body,
nor has there been any sign of cancer since.
Dr. F. S., a pathologist now in his late 60s, was diagnosed 11 years ago with multiple myeloma, a rare cancer with
poor prognosis for survival, even with chemotherapy. His oncologist said there was no cure; yet when Dr. S. added
3 grams a day of MGN-3 to his conventional therapy, his improvement was consistent and dramatic. There has been
no sign of multiple myeloma in his body for the last several years.
Dr. W. L., 67, a holistic physician, had suffered from an immune deficiency since the early '80s. He believed he
had tried everything that both conventional medicine and alternative medicine had to offer, to no avail. A few
months after adding 3 grams a day of MGN-3 to his daily regimen, his lab results showed that "for the first
time in 15 years, all of my tests had improved well into the middle range of normalcy….I believe that MGN-3 was
the trigger - the single thing that brought me into balance when nothing else did." 3
Ms. S. G., 51, diagnosed with hepatitis C in 1995, had tried Interferon therapy and many alternative approaches
without success. "I felt exhausted a lot, and I was getting pretty bad headaches. I just felt really bad."
After 41 days on 3 grams of MGN-3 daily, her AST (SGOT) and ALT (SGPT) were half of what they had been, showing
that her liver function was rapidly improving. "In two weeks I was already feeling a lot better." Based
on her early success, she is looking forward to all her liver enzymes being in normal range within the next few
weeks.
Mr. R. B., 48, diagnosed with hepatitis C two years ago, has been taking 3 grams a day of MGN-3 since January of
this year. His liver enzymes are now all within normal range, and his viral load is only half of what it was in
January. Because some Japanese physicians have reported that their hepatitis C patients often become virus-free
between their 12th and 24th month on MGN-3 when they continue on a reduced dosage of 1 gram a day, 4 R. B. says
he will continue taking MGN-3 at 1 gram a day, and plans to be the first American to become Hepatitis C-free using
MGN-3.
The cases studies sited above are a small sampling of the results in which MGN-3 has played a part. 5 For more
case studies, please see the companion article in this issue of the Well Being Journal, entitled, "MGN-3:
Personal Stories of Healing".
WHAT IS MGN-3 AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
MGN-3, an arabinoxylan compound, is a polysaccharide composed of the hemi-cellulose-B extract of rice bran, modified
by enzymes from Shiitake mushrooms. It is produced through a patented process. The result is a powder that dissolves
in water. The powder is then made into tablets or capsules.
MGN-3 was first manufactured in Japan, and has been available there for 6 years. Hundreds of doctors have used
it in their practices there, and tens of thousands of patients. So far, there haven't been any reports of side
effects or toxicity from Japan, or from the tens of thousands of people who take MGN-3 in the United States and
elsewhere in the world. 6
Research indicates that MGN-3 works by causing overall stimulation of the immune system, especially the Natural
Killer (NK) cells. 7 The Natural Killer cells are the body's first line of defense against cancer and viral infection.
It is the level of activity of the NK cells, not necessarily their numbers, that determine the odds of survival.
8 Research has now confirmed that people with low NK cell activity are much more likely to experience auto-immune
diseases, chronic fatigue immune dysfunction, viral infections, and cancer. 9
MGN-3 increases the activity levels of other cell populations as well, such as T cells and B cells, and increases
production of several cytokines, such as interferon gamma, tumor necrotic factor-alpha (TNF-A), Interleukin-2,
and Interleukin-12. 10
WHO IS DOING RESEARCH ON MGN-3?
The primary researcher of MGN-3 is Dr. Mamdooh Ghoneum, a research immunologist. Dr. Ghoneum earned his Ph.D. at
the University of Tokyo, Japan, in Radioimmunology, and did post doctoral work at the UCLA School of Medicine in
cellular and molecular immunolgy. Currently Dr. Ghoneum is Chief of Research, Dept. of Otolaryngology, Charles
Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles.
Dr. Ghoneum is internationally recognized as an expert in the emerging field of cancer immune therapy, a field
of therapy that uses biological response modifiers, (BRMs), to activate Natural Killer cells to kill cancer cells
in the body. Dr. Ghoneum has been studying BRMs made from natural compounds - compounds derived from mushrooms,
herbs, fungi, and bacteria -- as well as synthetic BRMs -- drugs like Interleukin-2 and Interferon. For the last
three decades, the field of cancer immune therapy has suffered great setbacks due to the toxicity associated with
many of these BRMs - both natural and synthetic. Dr. Ghoneum believed that somewhere there must exist a natural
compound - a BRM - that would stimulate the immune system without producing toxic side effects. About six years
ago, he found it. "I came across a natural substance that was so promising, so profoundly superior to everything
else I had ever evaluated," he said, "that I abandoned all other projects, including NIH-funded research,
in order to focus entirely on this substance." 11 Today this substance is known as "MGN-3".
Dr. Ghoneum says that MGN-3 proved to be superior, not only because of its lack of toxicity, but also because it
maintains its immunomodulatory effect over time. In contrast, he found that the effectiveness of other BRMs diminished
as time passed, even when the BRM continued to be administered - a phenomenon known as "hyporesponsiveness".
12 "In long-term follow-up of our patients, (up to 5 years), we have observed that the enhancing effect of
MGN-3 on NK cell activity is maintained indefinitely with continued administration." 13
Prior to researching MGN-3, Dr. Ghoneum had been researching a mushroom product called A.H.C.C, (Active Hemicellulose
Compound). After he had determined the superiority of MGN-3, he stopped all research on A.H.C.C. to focus on MGN-3.
Some writers, including myself, mistakenly believed that A.H.C.C. was the scientific name of MGN-3 and mingled
the research on the two. In fact, A.H.C.C. and MGN-3 are two very different products.
Dr. David Williams made this error in his widely-distributed articles on MGN-3. For example, he reported in the
September,1998 edition of "ALTERNATIVES", "In another study involving 11 patients, the percentages
of patients experiencing complete remission with MGN-3 were as follows: 1) Prostate cancer, two of the three patients,
or 66%…. 2) Ovarian cancer, two of the three patients, or 66%…. 3) Breast cancer, one of the three patients,
or 33%…. 4) Multiple myeloma, one of the two patients, or 50%."
"This data did not come from a study I did on MGN-3", says Dr. Ghoneum, "but from the abstract of
a study I did on A.H.C.C. 14 Most of the patients involved in the study were still undergoing chemotherapy or
hormonal therapy, which could also have accounted for the remissions." 15
"The real test of the effectiveness of any BRM is: 1) whether the remission was the result of the BRM treatment
acting alone (without conventional therapy or anything else); and 2) whether the remission is sustained, with continuation
of the BRM, after the time period during which conventional therapy could account for the remission. "
So what happened to the 11 patients in this study with A.H.C.C. after their conventional treatment ended? "As
time went by", says Dr. Ghoneum, "…almost all of those patients subsequently experienced recurrence
of cancer, and some died." 16-17(Some of them tell how they went on to become cancer free with the help of
MGN -3 in the companion article in this issue of the "Well Being Journal", entitled, "MGN-3: Personal
Stories of Healing".)
WHAT IS THE SUPPORTING EVIDENCE?
Dr. Ghoneum offers 7 published studies in scientific and medical journals to support his belief that MGN-3 is the
most effective BRM immune system enhancer available today. His studies include data from 72 human patients, as
well as test tube and animal data.
Dr. Ghoneum's earliest studies involved 32 cancer patients with different types of advanced malignancies. 18-20
"These patients had received and completed conventional therapy such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation,
or hormonal therapy prior to participation in the study. The baseline NK cell activity was found to be low in all
patients (10.8-49%)."
"Oral ingestion of MGN-3 at 45 mg/kg/day led to a significant increase in NK cell activity after only 1-2
weeks. The increase in baseline NK cell activity after two weeks of administration ranged from 145%-332% in breast
cancer patients, 174%-385% in prostate cancer patients, 100%-240% in leukemia patients, and 100%-537% in multiple
myeloma patients."
"The increase in NK cell activity was maintained for five years with continuation of MGN-3 therapy,"
commented Dr. Ghoneum. 21
A second study involved five women with breast cancer. 22Two of them went into complete remission within eight
months of treatment with MGN-3. After Dr. Ghoneum submitted his abstract, two more went into complete remission.
(He lost contact with the fifth patient.)
The four patients who experienced remission just celebrated five years of being cancer-free the beginning of this
year. 23
In still another study, Dr. Ghoneum showed that Stage II and III cervical dysplasias, usually considered pre-cancerous,
cleared up within six months of treatment with MGN-3. 24
Dr. Ghoneum's research also indicates that, in combined use with chemotherapy and hormone therapy, MGN-3 often
alleviates the side effects of the drugs, and improves quality of life. 25 (1) It often prevents the reduction
in the number of white blood cells usually caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy and increases interferon gamma
production. 26 (2) It is effective with many kinds of cancer. 27 3) When coupled with Interleukin-2, the dosages
of Interleukin-2 can be reduced to tiny levels that don't trigger their usual hazardous side effects. MGN-3 and
interleukin-2 act synergistically, and together are often much more effective for activation of the immune system,
than either used alone. 28
WHAT'S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CANCER AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM?
People usually understand why it might be important to stimulate the immune system to deal with viruses, but they
often wonder what the immune system has to do with cancer. Dr. Ghoneum believes that cancer develops when the immune
system is weak, malfunctioning, or absent. 29 He says, "I think of it like, when the cat's away, the mice
will play." Dr. Ghoneum believes that monitoring the activity of the NK cells in the immune system offers
oncologists and their patients another opportunity to find out how well a particular therapy or treatment is working.
The standard test of NK cell activity is by means of a 4-hour radioactive-chromium release assay, in which white
blood cells are incubated "in vitro" with a fixed number of chromium-labeled tumor cells. After 4 hours,
the percentage of tumor cells that have been killed by the NK cells is determined, and this percentage can be used
to describe NK cell activity. (Some labs express the results in "lytic units" instead of percentages,
to indicate NK cell activity.) "In a healthy immuno-competent individual," says Dr. Ghoneum, "…we
would expect to see NK cell activity ranging from 60-75%. However, in cancer patients, NK cell activity typically
ranges from near 0% to 30%. Although it is not entirely clear whether this is a cause or result of the disease
process, there is evidence suggesting that low NK cell activity may be a risk factor for malignancy or metastases,
as well as a negative prognostic indicator. Therefore, agents that stimulate NK cell function are being sought
as possible cancer therapeutic agents." 30
Dr. Ghoneum's research on MGN-3 includes about 225 cancer patients from many parts of the world. As each patient
enters the research study, their baseline NK cell activity level is established. Then subsequent blood analyses
of NK cell activity determine how well MGN-3 is activating their NK cells. Dr. Ghoneum says that once they are
activated, "…the NK cells become quite rapacious in their search-and-destroy activities. Upon encountering
a tumor cell, the activated NK cell attaches to the membrane of the cell and injects cytoplasmic granules that
quickly dissolve (lyse) the target cell. In less than five minutes, the cancer cell is dead and the NK moves on
to its next victim. A single NK cell can destroy up to 27 cancer cells before it dies. A single NK cell, once activated
by MGN-3, can often bind to two or more cancer cells at once, and destroy them." 31
CLINICAL RESULTS
Enhancing the activity level of someone's immune system is merely a theoretical victory if it does not lead to
clinical improvement. But in fact, Dr. Ghoneum reports that "the documented increase in NK cell activity in
cancer patients taking MGN-3 has been correlated to dramatic reductions in corresponding tumor markers and other
pathology indicators, and, most importantly, to long-term stabilization or remission of disease in the large majority
of cases." 32
"How well the cancer patients in MGN-3 therapy have done depended, first of all, on the stage of their cancer
when they began taking MGN-3. If it was in an early stage, and the tumor was localized, for the most part they
responded to the treatment very well. Eventually, over 90% of them might achieve complete remission." Dr.
Ghoneum added, "In advanced cases, where cancer has spread to another organ, we have often been able to increase
the life span of the patient: those who had been told they had only 3-6 months to live, we were able to give them
1 1/2 to 2 years." 33
CLINICAL APPLICATIONS & DEBULKING
"Debulking" is the process of undergoing a therapy which eliminates most of the cancer cells. Radiation,
chemotherapy and surgery are examples of debulking therapies. Dr. Ghoneum says that the best time for a cancer
patient to begin using MGN-3 is either while they are in the process of debulking or immediately after debulking.
When used during debulking, he says MGN-3 has often reduced the unpleasant side effects; but immediately after
debulking is probably the most important time to use MGN-3, because the numbers of cancer cells are, in all likelihood,
at their lowest. This gives MGN-3 its best chance to get rid of those cancer cells that escaped the debulking therapy,
and keep them from ever coming back.
"Conventional medicine has excellent anti-tumor therapies that can significantly reduce the number of cancer
cells. Unfortunately, we have seen that it is difficult to achieve a 100% kill rate without killing the patient
in the process. At best, we can hope to kill 95-98% of the cancer cells with these therapies. At this point, a
patient may be considered to be "in remission." Therapy is discontinued and the patient is closely monitored.
However, as most oncologists are painfully aware, these remissions are frequently short-lived.
Most cytotoxic therapies are themselves immunosuppressive, lowering the activity of anti-cancer effector cells.
Following chemotherapy or radiation, the few hardy cancer cells that survive the therapy are left to replicate
largely unchallenged by a damaged immune system. When the cancer eventually resurfaces, it does so with increased
ferocity and often with increased drug resistance.
In my opinion, the practice of watchful waiting wastes a golden opportunity to administer the coup de grce.
At the very early stages of detection, or, in more advanced stages, when the tumor load has been reduced as far
as possible by surgery and/or conservative cytotoxic therapies, boosting the immune system with MGN-3 allows the
body to eradicate the remaining cells that have escaped the chemicals, radiation, or surgeon." 34
Dr. Ghoneum says that sometimes cancer patients want to try MGN-3 before acquiescing to their oncologist's recommendation
for a debulking therapy. He cautions these patients not to postpone debulking therapies, because if the number
of cancer cells already outnumbers the NK cells by too great a margin when they begin using MGN-3, then the NK
cells -- even if highly activated by the MGN-3 -- cannot win. 35
"MGN-3 cannot and should not replace debulking therapy, especially in cases of advanced malignancies. In these
cases, even an extremely active immune response is easily overwhelmed by the huge numbers of cancer cells present.
Instead, I recommend that cancer patients with solid tumors begin MGN-3 immunotherapy concurrent with, or immediately
following debulking therapies. With this strategy we have the best chance of winning what essentially becomes a
war of numbers." 36
New data from Dr. Ghoneum's research may some day confirm his belief that the sooner a cancer patient begins
using 3 grams a day of MGN-3 after a debulking therapy, the greater their chance of remission -- that there is
a window of opportunity, and windows close.
OTHER POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS & PREVENTION
Dr. Ghoneum believes MGN-3 may be useful in any instance where chronic or severe bacterial, viral, or fungal infection
is present. He also believes that many healthy people would do well to take small doses of ½ gram per day
for disease prevention, but that anyone in a high risk category for any disease would be well-advised to take 1
gram a day. 37 As his research continues, Dr. Ghoneum intends to thoroughly investigate these beliefs. Of course,
to produce definitive conclusions about disease prevention, the research will have to take place over a very long
period of time and involve many people.
CONCLUSION
So what is MGN-3 - a cure or a curiosity? Perhaps it is neither. Perhaps in the short term it may be hailed by
oncologists as a powerful adjunct to their own conventional therapies. Perhaps in the long run it will emerge as
the quintessential answer to the prevention of disease. (See the companion article in this publication entitled,
"MGN-3: Personal Stories of Healing".) But for now, the answer to the question will have to wait.
Dr. Ghoneum stresses that his research is very long-term. With regard to his cancer research, in many cases, the
most telling information emerges years after his participants' conventional therapies have ceased, because conventional
therapies can sometimes put patients into remission for years. It is only after that period of time has ended,
that he can begin to know with some certainty whether the multiplication of the cancer cells has been held in check
by a highly-activated immune system - an immune system activated by
MGN-3.
For further information about Dr. Ghoneum's research, or to purchase videos, books, or copies of research papers,
contact the author, Emmalyn McAllister, at Health Solutions Now, 425-334-9644. The author is a health researcher
and educator specializing in little-known solutions for widely-spread medical problems.
Footnotes for "MGN-3: Cure or Curiosity? The Question Persists!"
1. "A New Chapter in Healing", Williams, David G., D. C. Alternatives, Vol. 7, No. 15, September, 1998,
p. 117.
2. Case histories from Dr. Ghoneum's research, confirmed by means of interviews conducted by the author with Dr.
Ghoneum and the study participants, June-July, 2000.
3. An interview conducted by the author with Dr. W. L. in June, 2000.
4. From a conversation between the author and Dr. Ghoneum, July 22, 2000.
5. Op. Cit. #4.
6. "One Sizeable Step for Immunology, One Giant Leap for Cancer Patients", Ghoneum,
7. Mamdooh, H., Ph.D., Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, January, 2000, pp. 58-62.
7. Op. Cit. #6.
8. Op. Cit. #6.
9. Whiteside T., Herberman R., "Human Natural Killer Cells in Health and Disease", Clinical Immunotherapeutics,
1994, 1(1):56-66.
10. Ghoneum M., "Effect of MGN-3 on Human Natural Killer Cell Activity and
Interferon-y Synthesis in Vitro, FASEB 1996, 10(6):26-32.
11. Op. Cit. #6.
12. Sait, O., Ruffman, R., "Development of Hyporesponsiveness of Natural Killer Cells to Augmentation
of Activity after Multiple Treatments with Biological Response M Modifiers", Cancer Immunol. Immunotherapy,
1985, 19:130-135.
13. Op. Cit. #4 and Ghoneum M., "NK Immunorestoration of Cancer Patients by
MGN-3, a Modified Arabinoxylan Rice Bran, (Study of 32 Patients Follow for Up to Four Years), Abstract, Sixth
International Congress on Anti-Aging and Bio-Medical Technologies, (American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine),
December, 1998, Las Vegas, NV.
14. Ghoneum M., Wimbley M., Salem F., Mcklain A., Attallah N., Gill G., "Immunomodulatory and Anticancer
Effects of Active Hemicellulose Compound (AHCC)", International Journal of Immunotherapy XI (1) 23-28 (1995).
15. Op. Cit. #14, Table I.
16. Op. Cit. #4.
17. "AHCC is a proprietary extract….Mushroom sources and details of the methods of preparation have not been
fully disclosed….It is not possible from the limited data to calculate relative efficacies, improvements in survival
or recurrence, or quality of life benefit." From "The Use of Mushroom Glucans and Proteoglycans in Cancer
Treatment", by Parris M. Kidd, PhD, in the Alternative Medicine Review, 2000; 5(1):4-27.
18. Ghoneum M., Manatalla G., "NK Immunomodulatory Function in 27 Patients by MGN-3, a Modified Arabinoxylane
from Rice Bran", Abstract, 87th Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April, 1996, Washington,
D. C.
19. Ghoneum M., "Immunomodulatory and Anticancer Properties of MGN-3, a Modified Xylose from Rice Bran, in
Five Patients with Breast Cancer", Abstract, American Association for Cancer Research Special Conference:
The Interface Between Basic and Applied Research, November, 1995, Baltimore, MD.
20. Op. Cit. #13.
21. Op. Cit. #4.
22. Op. Cit. #19.
23. Op. Cit. #4.
24. In prep.
25. Jacoby H., Wnorowski G., Sakata K., Maeda H., "The Effect of MGN-3 on Cisplatin and Adriamycin Induced
Toxicity in the Rat", Life Science, 2000
26. Op. Cit. #25 and Ghoneum M., "Enhancement of Human Natural Killer Cell Activity
by Modified Arabinoxylane from Rice Bran (MGN-3)" Int. Journal Immunotherapy XIV(2) 89-99 (1998)
27. Op. Cit. #19 and Op. Cit. #18 and Anti-aging Medical Therapeutics Vol. 3 (2000) pp. 217-226, Editors Klatz
R., and Goldman R., Chapter 30 by Ghoneum M., and Brown J., "NK Immunorestoration of Cancer Patients by
MGN-3, a Modified Arabyoxylan Rice Bran", (Study of 32 Patients Followed for Up to Four Years)
28. Ghoneum M., Jewett A., "Synergistic Effect of Modified Arabinoxylane (MGN-3) and Low Dose of Recombinant
IL-2 on Human NK Cell Activity and TNF-A Production", Abstract, American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, August,
1998, East Rutherford, NJ. and Journal Cancer Detection and Prevention 2000, manuscript in press.
29. Op. Cit. #4.
30. Op. Cit. #6.
31. Op. Cit. #6.
32. Op. Cit. #6.
33. From a conversation between the author and Dr. Ghoneum September 6, 1999.
34. Op. Cit. #6.
35. From a conversation between the author and Dr. Ghoneum in May, 2000.
36. Op. Cit. #6.
37. Op. Cit. #1.
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