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SCIENCE
Multi-factorial Approach
ActivaMune's unique formula
works in a multi-factorial way to boost the immune system. The ingredients
within its patented formula have been clinically shown to enhance the immune
system, detoxify the body from harmful chemicals and support multiple organ
systems throughout the body: breast,
prostate, cardiovascular, vision, skin and colon health.
Immune Modulation
ActivaMune's most important
and differentiating attribute as a supplement is that, in a safe and natural way, it
increases the sensitivity of cells in the body to the Interferon-Gamma
protein (IFN-G) in addition to increasing the body's Interferon-Gamma
production. Interferon-Gamma is a key signaling protein within the immune
system that boosts the ability of the body to defend itself against
bacterial and viral infections as well as cancer. Increasing Interferon-Gamma sensitivity
and production in the body enhances the immune system's ability and agility
to respond to bacterial and viral infections and uncontrolled cellular
reproduction.
In addition to Interferon-Gamma, DIM also
stimulates the production of the Granulocyte Colony
Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) which is directly responsible for White Blood
Cell production in the body, Interlukin-6 (IL-6), which is responsible for
the body's anti-bacterial response, and Interlukin-12 (IL-12) which
stimulates the growth and function of T-Cells which help to fight off
pathogens.
A variety of
factors affect the immune system. Sleep, regular exercise,
nutrition, obesity, environmental toxins, age and lifestyle habits such as
smoking are all important factors. Aging is particularly important as it
affects all people regardless of their general lifestyle habits and it
requires that individuals try to compensate for its effects by modifying the
other factors influencing their immune system and general wellness.
While we hope that all who are reading this will make an effort to exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep,
and maintain a healthy body weight, ActivaMune is here to help with a
nutritional immune support formula that is so robust, pharmaceutical
companies are considering the use of its natural, food-derived ingredients
at high concentrations as possible therapeutics for a variety of diseases.
For more
information on how the immune system works and the importance of
Interferon-Gamma,
please click here.
Discoverers of
Diindolylmethane (DIM)
The discoverers
of Diindolylmethane as a potent immune system activator are: Dr. Leonard
Bjeldanes, Professor and Former Chairman of the Department of Nutritional
Sciences and Toxicology at UC Berkeley and Dr. Gary Firestone, Professor and Director of the National Institutes of Health Cancer Research Program at UC
Berkeley. Dr. Bjeldanes and Dr. Firestone are regarded as leading scientific
authorities on Diindolylmethane as together they have published more papers
on DIM than any other research team worldwide. For over a decade their
laboratories at Berkeley have collaborated to elucidate the biological
mechanisms of this important health promoting compound. The fact that
the National Cancer Institute has begun clinical trials of DIM as a
natural therapeutic candidate for multiple forms of cancer rests in part on the extensive
published research of Dr. Bjeldanes and Dr. Firestone.
In addition to
being the first team to elucidate DIM's immune enhancing effects, Dr.
Bjeldanes and Dr. Firestone were also the first team to conduct a human
clinical trial in which they demonstrated that DIM helps
to increase the 2-hydroxylation of estrogen metabolites.1
In light of the fact that US and European
biomedical investigators had earlier published a multi-year study involving
over 10,000 volunteers concluding that this process reduces
the risk of breast cancer, this groundbreaking study at Berkeley made
headline news worldwide.2 Oncologists believe that this process
has a protective role for both women and men. Contrary to popular belief, men also have
small amounts of estrogen in their bodies that may be metabolized in harmful
ways.
Current Clinical Research and Use of
Diindolylmethane (DIM)
Diindolylmethane is currently
undergoing clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute as a
natural therapeutic for multiple forms of cancer and it is used as a
treatment for Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP) tumors, which are caused by the the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
At low
dietary concentrations, DIM is additionally in Phase III clinical trials for Cervical Dysplasia--a
pre-cancerous condition also caused by the Human Papilloma Virus which can lead to Cervical Cancer.
Until the discovery of its potent immune activating properties at UC
Berkeley, DIM's efficacy in treating RRP tumors and Cervical Dysplasia was
not clearly understood. Scientists now believe that immune modulation is the
underlying mechanism by which DIM helps to eliminate the HPV virus.
As immune modulation does not discriminate in the type of infection that it
combats, DIM is currently under investigation as a possible therapeutic
candidate for all viral and bacterial infections known to man, including
HIV, Hepatitis and antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Diindolylmethane's immune modulating properties, combined with its multiple
anti-cancer properties, makes this compound the most versatile naturally
occurring therapeutic candidate in the history of medicine. The fact that it
is a compound found in edible Brassica vegetables and has been a part of
human nutrition for millennia, makes it even more valuable.
It is important to note that through immune
modulation, multiple organ systems throughout the body are supported. Breast, prostate, colon and skin are among the organ systems that directly
benefit from DIM's immune modulating properties. Given DIM's immune
modulating properties on the skin, it is currently under investigation as a
supplement that may help prevent acne and pimples that result from skin
infections.
In addition to immune modulation, DIM has
also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties through its
inhibition of uncontrolled Nuclear Factor Kappa Beta activity (NFkB). NFkB is a
potent pro-inflammatory protein in the body that, when over-expressed,
contributes to and exasperates diseases stemming from chronic inflammation such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis.
As such, DIM, due to its inhibition of uncontrolled NFkB activity, is
currently under investigation as a therapeutic and preventive supplement for
these diseases as well. Unchecked NFkB activity has
also been linked to multiple forms of cancer.
More over, clinical investigators have demonstrated that
DIM synergizes with the most widely used cancer drug, Taxol (Paclitaxel)
in the promotion of apoptosis.3
Taxol is another plant-derived phytochemical that was originally extracted
from the Pacific Yew Tree. This has led to a tremendous interest by
investigators worldwide to study DIM as an adjuvant to Taxol to help reduce
cancer resistance to this important drug while improving its efficacy for
cancer patients.
Other Ingredients in ActivaMune
Attentive
customers will note that DIM is not the only ingredient in ActivaMune. It is
one of numerous important ingredients. The following overview provides a
brief description of the functionality and importance of the other
ingredients in ActivaMune:
Lycopene, the
key phytonutrient found in tomatoes, is an antioxidant that promotes
immune, cardiovascular, breast and prostate health. Selenium is another important
antioxidant, endogenous to broccoli, that has been widely studied for its support of immune, breast,
prostate, cardiovascular and vision health. Sulforaphane, discovered at the
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, activates phase II detoxification enzymes
within the body that help to detoxify the body from harmful chemicals and
carcinogens that build up through exposure to environmental pollution. Lutein and
Zeaxanthin
are
two important phytonutrients found in spinach that promote vision health, help to prevent macular degeneration
and support the immune system. Vitamins C, D3 & E along with Calcium
further support the immune system. (Note for biomedical investigators: DIM's
immune modulatory pathway is promoted by calcium-dependent protein kinase
activity. More information about this is available at the
Diindolylmethane Immune Activation Data Center)
Landmark Dietary Study on
Prostate Cancer
In a landmark study, published in January of 2007, nutritional scientists
tested the effectiveness of a diet rich in broccoli, tomatoes and a
combination of broccoli and tomatoes on prostate cancer growth and compared
it to the leading drug for prostate cancer, Finasteride
(marketed by Merck).4 The study concluded that the vegetable
rich diets were more effective in inhibiting cancer growth than this leading
drug for prostate cancer. The study also showed that the mixture of
broccoli and tomatoes had a more pronounced effect on prostate cancer
than either vegetable alone.
ActivaMune is the first supplement on the market to combine the three
recognized health promoting nutrients from broccoli (DIM, Sulforaphane and
Selenium) with the most important nutrient from tomatoes (Lycopene).
ActivaMune is also the first supplement on
the market to combine these important nutrients from broccoli and tomatoes
with the two important health promoting nutrients from spinach (Lutein and
Zeaxanthin) at clinically relevant dosages.
To review the abstract of this landmark
study, please visit the Scientific References section below.
Scientific References
For a review of
scientific papers regarding DIM and other ingredients in this formula,
please click here.
Briefing
for Healthcare Professionals and Biomedical Investigators
Biomedical
investigators may review summary information and data from a selection of
scientific reference papers on DIM by
clicking here.
Molecular Structure of
Diindolylmethane
DIM
ActivaMune's Unique
Background
ActivaMune is the first nutraceutical product in the
supplement industry leveraging the intellectual property and scientific
expertise of a biopharmaceutical company--Berkeley BioSciences, Inc. Every
purchase of ActivaMune directly supports research and development of
nature-based therapeutics for cancer, AIDS, Hepatitis,
HPV, the Pandemic Flu
and other diseases. The fact that DIM is currently used as a therapeutic to
treat RRP tumors, that it is in Phase III Clinical Trials for Cervical
Dysplasia, and that the National Cancer Institute has begun clinical trials
of DIM as a natural therapeutic for multiple forms of cancer is in part due
to the relentless research efforts of the scientific co-founders of Berkeley
BioSciences, Inc. We hereby wish to thank all of the ActivaMune users who
support this innovative product which is unique in the supplement industry
in that it is backed by over two decades of scientific research.
Notes
1. Pilot study: effect of
3,3'-diindolylmethane supplements on urinary hormone metabolites in
postmenopausal women with a history of early-stage breast cancer.
Journal of
Nutrition and Cancer. 2004;50(2):161-7. Dalessandri KM,
Firestone GL, Fitch MD, Bradlow HL, Bjeldanes LF, Department of
Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-3200,
USA.
2. Estrogen metabolism
and risk of Breast cancer: A prospective study of the 2:16α-hydroxyestrone
ratio in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Epidemiology, 2000, vol. 11, no6,
pp. 635-640 Muti P, Bradlow HL, Micheli A, Krogh V, Freudenheim JL,
Schunemann HJ, Stanulla M, Jun Y, Sepkovic DW, Trevisan M, Berrino F,
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University at Buffalo, State
University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA, Epidemiology Division
of the National Cancer Institute (Istituto Nazionale Tumori), Milan, Italy,
Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Medical School of Hannover, Hannover,
Germany.
3.
3,3′-Diindolylmethane and Paclitaxel Act Synergistically to
Promote Apoptosis in HER2/Neu Human Breast Cancer Cells. Journal of
Surgical Research, 2006
May 15;132(2):208-13.
K McGuire, N Ngoubilly, M Neavyn, S Lanza-Jacoby, Department of Surgery, Jefferson Medical
College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA.
4. Combinations of Tomato and Broccoli
Enhance Antitumor Activity in Dunning R3327-H Prostate Adenocarcinomas.
Canene-Adams K, Lindshield B, Wang S, Jeffery E, Clinton S, Erdman J.,
Cancer Research 2007; 67, January 15,
2007, USA.
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