Satu-satu perkara yang menjadi penghalang antara anda dan sesuatu penyakit biasa seperti selseman ataupun yang lebih serius seperti kanser, atau jangkitan virus seperti SARS, ialah sistem imun yang kuat. Apabila sesuatu virus menyerang para pelajar dalam satu bilik darjah, mengapakah hanya separuh sahaja jatuh sakit dan yang separuh lagi masih sihat? Jawabnya, bukan kerana virus itu sendiri. tetapi kekuatan sistem imun dalam badan kita. Apapun dalam kata lain, mereka mempunyai penentangan yang lebih kuat.

Secara ringkas, sistem imun menggabungkan seluruh gerak balas badan terhadap penyakit. Sistem imun anda sentiasa mencari-cari dan menggelidah badan kita untuk menangkap apa jua yang dianggap “bukan diri.” Apa saja “bukan diri” dianggap sebagai penceroboh dan akan dimusnahkan. Bukan diri lazimnya ialah bakteria, virus, sel kanser, fungus atau lain-lain mikroorganisme.

Masalah akan timbul apabila para penceroboh, baik bakteria, virus, fungus mahupun protoza, bergerak masuk untuk menyerang badan kita. Tetapi para penceroboh ini akan bertembung dengan satu pasukan pembunuh yang luar biasa sekali kuasa pembunuhnya yang pernah dicipta - ini ialah sistem imun badan kita.

Terdapat bertrillion-trillion sel pejuang khas yang yang sentiasa menggempur sel-sel asing ini. Sel-sel pejuang ini dikawal dan diarah oleh berpuluh-puluh biokimia yang hebat-hebat belaka. Peperangan berteknologi tinggi ini mestilah diselaraskan dengan kepakaran dan kejituan yang tinggi. Sebarang kegendelaan di mana-mana bahagian dalam sistem yang hebat ini boleh mendatangkan malapetaka.

Jika sesuatu agen pembawa penyakit atau sel yang tidak normal dapat menewaskan atau mengatasi mekanisme pertahanan badan, maka jangkitan akan berlaku. Contohnya ialah penyakit AIDS. Dalam penyakit yang mengancam maut ini, sejenis virus akan menjangkiti dan memusnahkan satu subset sel-sel di dalam sistem imun itu sendiri. Sel-sel yang dimusnahkan ialah yang bertanggungjawab tindak balas imun.

Satu lagi contoh kebinasaan sistem imun berlaku pada tahun 1986 semasa berlakunya Bencana Loji Kuasa Nuklear di Chernobyl. Radiasi pada paras yang tinggi memusnahkan sistem imun para pekerja yang terdedah kepadanya. Akibat itu  ramai yang mati disebabkan jangkitan virus itu.

Contoh yang terkini ialah virus SARS. Kadar kematian yang dijangkiti virus ini, yang menyebabkan pneumonia (radang paru-paru) teruk, adalah tinggi di kalangan kanak-kanak, orang dewasa dan mereka yang sistem imunnya terjejas. Ini termasuk mereka yang mengalami ketegangan, diet yang tidak sempurna dan mereka yang telah pun mempunyai kedaan kesihatan yang tidak baik, seperti mereka yang mengihapi penyakit jantung dan hepar.

Bagi mereka ini, sistem imun badan telah menjadi lemah dan lembab dalam mengatur barisan pertahanan badan untuk menentang virus SARS yang agresif. Apabila sistem imun berada dalam keadaan kesihatan optimum, badan mempunyai semua amunisi yang diperlukan untuk mempertahankan dirinya daripada serangan sebarang virus atau bakteris. Ini hanya boleh berlaku sekiranya kita berusaha untuk membina sistem imun yang kuat dan sihat.

Antibiotics are often seen by both the patient and the doctor as a quick fix. Antibiotics are precribed in outpatient clinics 150 million times per year.

According to the CDC, fully 1/3 or 50 million prescriptions are issued inappropriately. Either it is not a bacterial ainfection or the bacteria are not susceptible to the antibiotic prescribed.

Overuse of antibiotics for inpatients (hospital) is also concern. At any time 25 to 40 of hospital patients are receiving antibiotics. Many of these treatments are inappropriate. Hospitals use the antibiotic Vancomycin, the last weapon for many infections.

Today there are a growing number of infections that are vancomycin resistant. At the same time one study showed that 63% of the prescriptions were inconsistent with CDC guidelines.

These guidelines seek to limit the use of Vancomycin so that it will remain effective. The manufactures of antibiotics are not able to develop new antibiotics fast enough. The biology of the microbes and the way we misuse drugs will always keep bugs in the lead.

The same antibiotics used to treat critical human infections are also used to treat animals, both pets and food producing animals. Agriculture uses 40% of all antibiotics. Of greater concern comes from the use of antibiotics in animal feeds. As much as 80% of the antibiotics used in agriculture are used as feed additives to promote the growth of food animals, like cattle and poultry.

A number of scientific studies have clearly shown the linkage between feeding antibiotics, resistant strains and disease in humans. For example, the new antibiotic class Fluoroquinalones is an important drug for human use. The FDA allows its use in poultry, over the objection of the CDC and the Infectous Disease Society of America. Studies show that only after two years of its use in poultry there is an increase in resistance in turkeys, chickens and humans. (Aside: almost 50 to 75% of all poultry meat is contaminated with disease producing bacteria).

Passing of the Antibiotic Era

Passing the door to his son’s room on his way to bed after a long day, James glance made way to the restless sleep of his young son David. Placing his hand on David’s forehead to reassure without waking him. James instincts reacted with alarm to the heat pouring from the boy’s small forehead. My God he is burning up he muttered. Fever fueled by a smoldering ear infection spiked and once again the young boy would visit the “ear doctor” for yet another two week course of antibiotics. This time was to be different as young David’s life hinged on the fading power of antibiotics.

Just as before, David was prescribed a two week course of Ampicillin and unlike the many past treatments, the bacteria acquired resistance to Ampicillin and was unthwarted by its effect.

Two days later, David’s fever spiked again, yet this time he lay in his bed virtually unresponsive. With great alarm David was rushed to the ER and admitted to the hospital with Bacterial Menigitis (an infection of the lining of the brain). In young children bacterial meningitis is a life threatening infection. Perhaps it was the his early treatment in the ER or just good luck that the newer antibiotics used by the hospital remained effective, David recovered fully and plays and laughs like his young friends.

While this scenario is fictional it is based on fact. More and more infections are not successfully treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics like penicillin and tetracycline were once hearaled as the tools to end all infectious disease. What happened to this dream?

After decades of using antibiotics inappropriately, as for the common cold, microbes have developed ways to protect themselves. The more widely they are used the more rapid resistance will develop.

Today, the common Staph. aures, the that often infects wounds and causes very serious infections of the bone, heart valves and the blood is highly resistant to penicillin. Methcillin became the drug of choice for Staph infections. Today almost of one third of staph bacteria are resistant to methcillin.

Many of these drug resistant strains come from the place we go to heal, the hospital. Today going to the hospital has an added risk of acquiring a hospital borne infection. According to the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) about 20 of 100 persons admitted to a hospital will acquire an infection while in the hospital. About 40,000 persons per year will die from hospital acquired infections!

The cost of this problem is staggering. The National Foundation for Infectious Disease estimates the cost of antibiotic resistance is 4 billion annually. We can and must develop alternative health and prevention programs. Otherwise the cost in sickness, lives and dollar will continue to increase at alarming rates.

By: Richard H. Bennett Ph. D.

Infectious Disease Microbiologist / Immunologist

Recently a new alternative medical treatment has come into the spotlight and offers many potential benefits for the Autistic child according to its proponents. Unfortunately, it also offers the opportunity fraud and deception by those who are only interested in exploiting the desperation of parents who are searching for a ray of hope that their child will be cured of Autism. This treatment, Autism Transfer Factor, is based in the science of biochemistry and in limited research studies has shown great promise.

There are many Transfer Factors found naturally in the body, and while some are general in nature, others appear to transfer immunity to a specify disease or condition. This treatment is grounded in the hypothesis that Autism and many conditions are primarily immune system dysfunctions and may be treatable or even reversible.

By definition, “Transfer Factors are protein immunomodulators that transfer the ability to express cell-mediated immunity from an immune-sufficient donor to an immune-deficient recipient or from an immunized donor to nonimmune recipient.” In short, in the case of Autism, they transfer an immunity to Autism to the person receiving the treatment.

There are currently two sources of Transfer Factor available today. The most common one utilizes colostrum from cows that have been exposed to high concentrations of pathogens and viruses that researchers have linked to Autism.

Colostrum, the substance that precedes milk in mammals, serves a natural role in protecting the newborn from illness by transferring the mother’s immunity to the child. In the case of Transfer Factor, the immunity that the cow developed is transferred to the human infant, and thus protects it from an illness. Due to the processes needed to manufacture this form of Transfer Factor, it is a very expensive treatment, and being experimental is usually not covered by health insurance.

The second source is from human blood cells, either leukocytes or lymphocytes, and appears to work best if those cells are from close family members. They work in exactly the same way as the colostrum based treatment, except that they transfer a much more genetically natural immunity due to the common characteristics between the donor and recipient.

They are also more pure and free from contaminants. This treatment is much more limited in use, due to the availability of donors and therefore more expensive to receive than the colostrum based treatment. It also involves a higher degree of risk, due to the blood born disease issue.

In a landmark study, Dr. H. Hugh Fudenberg, M.D. found that of 22 Autistic children, 21 improved significantly and 10 were considered to be recovered and mainstreamed in their schools following Transfer Factor treatment.

After the treatment was discontinued, some showed regression, but none returned to their prior baseline levels. Dr. Fudenberg used the lymphocyte based Transfer Factor in his treatment, and while these results have been replicated using that treatment protocol, they have not been replicated using the colostrum based treatment.

While much promise is offered by these treatment, there are sites on the internet which offer “Transfer Factor” treatments that actually are nothing but scams, in Dr. Fudenberg’s expert opinion. He offers eight indications of fraudulent Transfer Factor treatment offer on the internet. Following his guidelines can save money as well as disappointment, and in some cases it can even save your life. Read each of his eight points carefully, they contain a multitude of information that will make you a more informed consumer. As always consult your physician before beginning ant treatment program for you or your child. - From: Adelle Jameson Tilton

Destabilized immune mechanisms play a leading role in the pathogenesis of parenteral hepatitis (viral hepatitis B and C) as well as in the course and outcomes of the diseases. Despite considerable experience in viral hepatitis treartment, including chronic ones, a number of issues concerning an optimal regimen are still being discussed with doses and the treatment with interferons (INF) as the current drugs of choice.

The fact that treatment with INF of one patient with the chronic form of hepatitis C costs $10,000-$15,000 propmpts the necessity of solving this issue.

In addition, this antiviral therapy prescription has a list of other indications, but interferons are sometimes poorly tolerated by patients and the host produces antibodies against recombinant interferons. For these reasons the search for agents with proven therapeutic effect in the patients with viral hepatitis is quite justified.

The first results obtained from adult patients receiving TF along with the conventional therapy attests to a high effectiveness of celular cytokines use in this kind of pathology. Along with the normalization of biochemical values and the decrease of viral load, all patients registered a marked improvement of the general state, were more efficient and did not experience excessive fatique, and there was no discomfort in the right hypochondrium.

Further studies with the patients with acute and chronic forms of viral hepatitis B and C, wherein patients were followed up for 6 months after the treatment, were carried out by the same authors. Fifty (50) patients with chronic viral hepatitis B and C and 15 patients with acute viral hepatitis B received TF, one capsule 3 times daily for 14 days. The resulting data were comparable to those obtained in patients receiving conventional treatment with interferons.

Twenty four (24) patients with acute hepatitis B and 34 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CVHC) received TF PLUS, 1 capsule 3 times daily for 14 days. The control group, 15 CVHC patients, received 3,000,000 IU of reaferon (an antiviral IFN) intramuscularly 3 times a week.

The remaining patients received basic therapy aimed at improving bile secretion (holosas or hophitol) and liver function (riboxin per os). Identical immunocorrecting effects were registered in the patient group receiving TF PLUS for 2 weeks and in the patients, receiving IFN therapy for 3 months.

In the patients receiving TF PLUS there were earlier symptom dynamics that were positive. TF PLUS was well tolerated and there were no side effects as compared with fever, joint pain and asthenia during interferon therapy. It is worth pointing out that the incidence of viral remission in the groups receiving reaferon and TF PLUS was the same, i.e. 65%. At the same time the level of g-interferons productions was significantly higher in the patients receiving TF PLUS.

The effectiveness of TF and TF PLUS in the treatment of viral hepatitis B and C may be of great help in considering the use of TF products as the alternative treatment to recombinant tnterferons or as an addition to the conventional therapies for viral hepatitis.

The data obtained indicates further studies of the effectiveness of TF products should be conducted in additional patients in order to develop the most effective schemes of complex treatment, pharmacologically effectiveness, the dose courses and the economics.

With the diversity of existing immunomodulators capable of producing either stimulating or suppressing effect on the immune system, we chose to scientifically investigate the use of transfer factor products in pathological conditions necessitating immunocorrection.

Studies demonstrating the clinical and immunological effectiveness of Transfer Factor and Transfer Factor Plus in the treatment of patients with HIV infection, hepatitis B and C, herpes, urogenital chlamydiosis, severe bacterial infection (osteomyelitis), helminthic invasions (opisthorchiasis), as well as malignant tumors (gastric cancer), dermatoses (psoriasis, atopic dermatitis) and duodenal ulcer were carried out in different clinics of Russian Federation from 2000 through 2003.

The results of the clinical studies, it helped to evaluate the effectiveness and safety, the duration of treatments, the doses of Transfer Factor products and prospects of their use not only in the above mentioned diseases, but in the complex treatment of various pathological conditions.

While studying Tuberculosis in 1949, Dr. H. Sherwood Lawrence (prior Head of Infectious Diseases and Immunology of New York University, 1959 - 2000) discovered that he could “transfer” a positive immune response from a recovered donors to a naive recipient, someone who had never encountered tuberculosis.

At the time, Lawrence used white blood cells as the source of transfer factor from human to donors to lucky patients via intravenous administration. Although transfer factor was hailed as a major discovery by researchers and scientists around the world, penicilin took center stage as Western medicine’s panacea, a “cure-all” to sickness and infection.

No one can argue the role antibiotics have played in battling disease. At the same time, more professionals than ever are concerned about their effectiveness as germs get smarter. Antibiotic replace the immune system, rather than strengthen it. For this reason, people are looking for alternative ways to support and promote their immune response.

Since Lawrence’s ground-breaking life work, thousands of scientific studies have explored the effectiveness of the immune system molecule, transfer factor. And over the last twenty years, three major immunological discoveries have revolutionized transfer factor science:

SOURCES

In the early days of transfer factor therapy, donors were human, and transfer factor was received via injection. It wasn’t until the 1980s that medical science discovered the efficacy and compatibility of animal-sourced transfer factor. Today, we know that unlike antibodies, transfer factor is cross-species compatible. This means that its benefit is universal. As a result, we can profit from the transfer factor of animals with heroic (resilient) immune systems.

ORAL CONSUMPTION: DELIVERY

Transfer factor has come a long way since its intravenous beginning. In the 1980s, it was discovered that transfer factor is orally transmissible, which makes sense because it’s passed from mother to child through coloctrum, a mother’s first milk. A wide range of studies conducted over the past two decades now underscore the efficacy of orally consumed transfer factor.

TECHNOLOGY

Scientists have only recently developed the techniques needed to extract and concentrate transfer factor molecules for optimal potency. For example, although traces of transfer factor exist in colostrum, they must be isolated and purified for ideal results.

HEROIC IMMUNE SYSTEM = POTENT TRANSFER FACTOR

The most potent transfer factor molecules come from “heroic” immune system that have had previous encounters with a wide range of viral and bacterial strains. Today’s scientific community is particularly interested in two sources of transfer factor: one derived from cows, the other from chickens.

Cow colostrum contains potent transfer factor designed to prepare the newborn calf for the barnyard’s toxic environment. Similarly, eggs offer another source for harvesting potent transfer factor strain.

OUR DAILY NEED FOR TRANSFER FACTOR

Hundreds of thousands of people around the world take transfer factor on a daily basis for increased immune system support. In fact, one report indicates that in China, “more than six million people have used transfer factor as prophylaxis for hepatitis.

Throughout the world, people are discovering that transfer factor offers general immune maintenance for our on-the-go lifestyles. This may be why the popular book, The Germ Survival Guide, by Dr. Kenneth A. Bock, M.D., et al., lists six Transfer Factor capsules per day as “essential” when travelling.

• Transfer Factor is not a vitamin, mineral, herb, drug, steroid or hormone.
• Transfer Factors are immune messenger molecules or immune IQ. They are extracted from cow and egg yolk.
• 1 capsule of Transfer Factor (200mg) has the potential to recognize more than 100,000 types of germs, virus, fungi, parasites, bacteria and also recognize bad cells including tumour cells and cancer cells.
• The strength of 1 capsule of Transfer Factor is equivalent to that of 75-100 colostrum capsules in it’s ability to strengthen our immune system.
• 
  
• Transfer Factors comes to us after 50 years of research by well renowed scientists.
• Transfer Factors have been studied by scientists from more than 60 countries around the world.
• An estimated US40 million has been spent on it’s research.
• Over 3,500 scientific and medical reports have been written, validating it’s effectiveness.
• Transfer Factor have been found to have zero toxicity and is safe to be consumed by children and old people. Transfer Factors have been tested with megadoses of up to 2,000 times, without producing any toxic side effect. It can be safely taken with other medication.
• 4Life Research is the  “leader” in the immune system revolution. The extraction and manufacturing technology of Transfer Factors from the bovine and avian sources have been patented by 4Life Research. It is a unique product that has no credible competition in the global marketplace.
• 4Life has created history by having it’s Transfer Factor be the FIRST dietary supplement approved for use in hospitals and clinics in Russia. This approval came from the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (Health Ministry) in 2004 after it conducted clinical studies on 4Life’s Transfer Factor.

Apabila anda menuju ke arah yang betul, tiada siapa pun yang tahu berapa jauh yang anda boleh pergi.

Sekali-sekala satu peluang akan datang kepada kita yang membuatkan kita terfikir semula tentang arah tujuan kita. Kita berhenti seketika dan tertanya-tanya, adakah ini masanya untuk kita mengalihkan usaha kita. Detik penentu inilah yang boleh mengubahkan segala-galanya.

“Jika anda tidak boleh berubah haluan, anda mungkin akan sampai ke destinasi yang ditujui.” - Lao Tzu

4Life menggalakkan anda menekan butang “berhenti sebentar” dan mengambil masa untuk mempastikan kehidupan anda menuju ke arah pencapaian impian anda.

Semua perjalanan 4Life menuju ke arah satu destina. Kehidupan yang optimum.

Untuk beberapa minit, benarkan diri anda menimbangkan idea bahawa anda sebenarnya boleh mencapai kehidupan yang optimum. Di dalam kehidupan tersebut:

• Apakah jenis gaya hidup yang akan anda nikmati?
• Di manakah akan anda tinggal?
• Apakah jenis kereta yang akan anda pandu?
• Bagaimanakah keluarga anda akan menghabiskan masa percutian?

Sesetengah orang hidup di dalam alam mimpi… sesetengah orang tinggal di alam nyata… dan sebahagian kecil mencari jalan untuk mengubah impian mereka menjadi satu kenyataan.

Advances of civilization, scientific and technical progress and achievements in medicine have not help to reduce the incidence of infectious and non-infectious diseases among the populations of the planet. On the contrary, the number of oncological, cardiovascular, respiratory and endocrine diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders is growing.

A new group of so-called emerging infections, including AIDS, parenteral types of hepatitis and others have appeared. The Earth’s population experienced a decrease in general resistance due to globally unfavorable social (malnutrition), ecological (the atmosphere and the environment pollution with many from modern technology) and medical (unjustified use of some medicines, narcotics, alcohol, stress and so on) factors that are some of the causes of the existing situation. All of these factors are pernicious to the immune system and can cause immunodeficiency.

The use of immune modulators is one of the principal means in maintaining normal immune system function and in restoring immunity in immunodeficient conditions. Immune modulators both natural and synthetic are capable of stimulating or suppressing the immune system.

A multitude of immune modulators are used in medical practice but their effectiveness and other properties defining their safety, simplicity in use and economy factors differ greatly (A.A. Vorobiev, RAMS Bulletin, #4, 2002). Natural, endogenous immune modulators, which contain basic substances that take part in the processes of immune regulation are the most acceptable and adequate for humans. Being composed of natural peptides obtained from cow colostrum Transfer Factor is considered to be one such immune modulators. The main functions of these peptides in the body is to provide immune protection against microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa), cancerous cells and other antigens capable of disturbing vital processes in the body.

Transfer Factors stimulate the cellular arm of the immune system (killer lymphocytes in particular), activate immunocytokine synthesis and regulate immune functions.

Transfer Factor is superior to other, even wll know immune modulators being extremely effective in boosting the immune system. It possesses a broad spectrum of action, is safe, is used orally as gelatinous capsules, has no contraindications, causes no adverse reactions and is effective both in adults and children.

Transfer Factor has been successfully used for many years for the treatment and prevention of bacterial, viral, fungal infections, parasitic diseases, malignant tumors, autoimmune conditions, neurasthenic, allergic and endocrine disorder, primary and secondary immunodeficiencies and in diseases accompanied by disturbances in immune functions.

Transfer Factors and Transfer Factors Plus products have been extensively studied in Russian clinics and research institutions. This helped to generalize clinical results into the form of methodological recommendations. This methedological letter is meant to acquaint physicians, medical students, clinical residents and post graduate with current information, concerning the mechanisms of the immune system response to exogenous factors of viral and bacterial origin, with the properties of Transfer Factor products and the result of the studies aimed at the evaluation of their effectiveness in various pathological conditions.