Guest guest Posted January 10, 2002 Report Share Posted January 10, 2002 Hi, some people believe that transfer factor or MGN-3 will boost the immune system others use beta glucan to do the same. What is the difference between these three things. Transfer Factor introduces immune recognition factors derived from animals, into the body. Transfer Factor boosts Natural Killer (NK) cell activity. MGN-3 is also a Natural Killer cell activator. Beta Glucan is a Macrophage cell activator. But what does that mean? Well the Macrophage is the largest immune cell and it is the controller of several other types of immune cells including NK cells and T cells. The macrophage cell is normally asleep and inactive, producing no anti cancer chemicals called cytokines, and having a smooth surface which is unable to effect phagocytosis. Phagocytosis is when a macrophage cell engulfs and then digests a cancer cell. After priming of the Macrophage cell with Beta Glucan the macrophage becomes wrinkled and activated, it begins to produce cancer killing cytokines and begins to " eat " cancer cells. Some of the many types of cytokines produced by the activated macrophage are chemical messengers that are detected by the Thymus Glands which makes T cell. The Thymus gland will increase manufacture of T cells after detecting the cytokines excreted by the activated macrophage. After eating cancer cells the macrophage then displays recognizable parts of the cancer, called antigens, upon its surface. Natural Killer cells will come along and examine these antigens being displayed by the macrophage and the NK cells will remember what these antigens look like. Later the NK cells will go away and find and kill cancer cells displaying these antigens. The excretion of cytokines by the macrophage is called the immune cascade as it results in increased proliferation and activation of several other types of immune cells including NK cells and T cells. The immune cascade only happens after the macrophage is activated to its cytotoxic state, which it is not usually in, especially in cancer patients. Beta Glucan has been shown to activate the immune cascade. MGN-3 or Transfer Factor will not activate the immune cascade but will only activate Natural Killer cells. But since Beta Glucan will indirectly result in activation of these same cells it means that it would be unnecessary to take these two products if one already took Beta Glucan. There are two types of Beta Glucan, beta-1,3d-glucan from yeast or mushrooms and beta-1,6-glucan or mannin derived from Aloe Vera. The two forms are complimentary. There is very little mannin in Aloe Vera juice but a patented extract of mannin from Aloe Vera is sold by Mannotech. Yeast derived beta glucan is the cheapest form. So clearly beta glucan is a more effective product than MGN-3 or Transfer Factor. But this is only the beginning of the story, there are things that will prevent the beta glucan activated immune system from killing the tumor, tumor defence mechanisms such as the slimy protective coating of the tumor which hides the tumor antigens from detection by the immune system and red blood cells covering the tumor which prevents the immune cells from being able to get to the tumor. Fruit derived Enzyme therapy and Heparin are designed to overcome these tumor defences. But that is still not the end of the story. The macrophage cell quickly runs out of the fuel it needs to swim to the tumor and to make the cytokines. This fuel is vitamin C, which needs to be taken every few hours each day, up to 10 gms a day. Of course if one takes vitamin C without activating the macrophage, the vitamin C will simply be excreted in the urine and not used by the macrophage. This is the normal situation as very few people who take vitamin C also take beta glucan. In memory of Alan who died in my early days of research, and my sister and neighbour who survived after more years of research, And with thanks to those researchers who pioneered this work, moonbeam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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