June 20, 2004

By: Morgan Olson
Website: http://www.1st-in-wellness.com

Samaritan Reports Researchers Are Linking Stress Hormones to AIDS, Alzheimer's and Cancer

Samaritan Pharmaceuticals Inc. One study found that people who are at high risk of breast cancer have a shifted cortisol rhythm, suggesting that people whose cortisol cycle is thrown off by troubled sleep, may be more cancer-prone. UCLA Team found that the body under stress, releases a chemical called Norepinephrine that leaves the T-cells open to infection and accelerates HIV replication Samaritan collaborative researchers discover new second-generation 'drugs' to reduce and modulate the stress hormone cortisol as promising treatments for AIDS, Alzheimer's and other life-threatening diseases.

Georgetown University grants exclusive worldwide license for methods and compositions for modulating serum cortisol levels through its Smaritan/Georgetown University.

Samaritan Pharmaceuticals Inc., is pleased to announce that it has finalized an exclusive worldwide license from Georgetown University for Methods and Compositions for Modulating Serum Cortisol Levels through its Samaritan Laboratories, Georgetown University collaboration.

Samaritan believes the discovery of these new second-generation compounds hold promise as future treatments for diseases such as AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, depression, Cushing's and hypertension, either alone or in combination with disease-specific therapies. The major benefit of these new entities lies in their ability to modulate cortisol rather than inhibit cortisol production by the body altogether.

Researchers are continually discovering links to the stress hormone cortisol's detrimental effect on the body, and its association with disease prognosis.

Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos, chair of the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at Georgetown University and one of the co-inventors of the new technology, together with Drs. Xu, Lecanu and Greeson, stated, Cortisol is essential for life.

However, it is the excess cortisol, induced by stress or various pathologies, that is detrimental to our health.

Link Between Sleep and Cancer Progression Explored by Stanford Researcher.

A good night's sleep may be one weapon in the fight against cancer, according to researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine. Researchers suggested two possible ways in which the circadian rhythm may influence cancer progression.

The first involves a hormone called melatonin, which the brain churns out during sleep. The second link lies with a hormone called cortisol, which normally reaches peak levels at dawn then declines throughout the day. Cortisol is one of many hormones that help regulate immune system activity, including the activity of a group of immune cells called natural-killer cells that help the body battle cancer.

One study found that people who are at high risk of breast cancer have a shifted cortisol rhythm, suggesting that people whose cortisol cycle is thrown off by troubled sleep also may be more cancer-prone.

Shyness Can Be Deadly; UCLA Scientists Identify How Introverts' Stress Response Increases Their Risk of Infectious Disease, Including AIDS.

UCLA's research team stated, We found a strong linear relationship between personality and HIV replication rate in the body. Shy people with high stress responses possessed higher viral loads.

The researchers were surprised to find that the antiretroviral drugs barely made a dent in the shy patients' disease. Instead of showing lower viral loads, the immune systems of introverted subjects replicated the virus between 10 to 100 times as fast as in other patients.

Researchers continued, Shy patients on drug therapy didn't experience even a 10-fold drop in their viral load. Doctors classify that as a treatment failure. The drugs should shrink HIV replication by at least 100-fold.

Our findings suggest that high nervous system activity helps the virus continue replicating, researchers said. Patients with high-stress personalities continued to lose T-cells -- even on the best drug therapy available. Stress sabotages their battle against this lethal disease.

About The Author:

Morgan Olson is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-wellness.com.  Obtaining and keeping good health through healthy living, natural healing, great mental health and healthy finances.