Oncosorb, TNF and Dr. Lentz – pro
The Oncosorb absorbtion column was invented by Dr. Lentz and described in a monograph, “Unleashing the Immune System: New Insights into Cancer”, Equinox Press, 2010.
The theory behind this treatment is that absorbing out TNF inhibitors will have an “immunostimulating” effect and be beneficial in cancer therapy. There are two isoforms; TNFR-1 (p55) and TNFR-2. TNFR-1 initiates the majority of the biological activities of TNF-α and is expressed on all cell types, whereas TNFR- 2 expression is mainly confined to immune cells. The effects of TNF are both to stimulate and anti-cancer response and to promote cancer development and progression and there have been attempts to exlplain how absorbing out TNF will impact on these two contradictory processes.
While this is an intriguing approach, clinical confirmation is lacking. “Unleashing the Immune System…” cites 15 patients with breat cancer but there is no clinical supporting literature in peer-reviewed literature. Dr. Lentz is “in the process of finishing a series of scientific articles (p. 133)”. He is said to not be “a voluminous writer or voluble speaker. He is fundmantally a man of action”. Neverthelss, he has not produced clinical confirmation of the efficacy of his treatment to the current time. The approach is interesting but confirmation of its efficacy in patients is lacking.
Lentz, Meredith, Kumar, Kiran, Reduction of Plasma Levels of Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor and Interleukin-2 Receptors by Means of a Novel Immunoadsorption Column, Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis, 12:6, 2008
Lentz MR. The role of therapeutic apheresis in the treatment of cancer: a review. Ther Apher 1999;3(1):40-49.
Gatanaga T, Lentz R, Masunaka I, et al. Identification of TNF-LT blocking factor(s) in the serum and ultrafiltrates of human cancer patients. Lymphokine Res. 1990 Summer;9(2):225-9.
Bertazza L, Mocellin S.The dual role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in cancer biology.Curr Med Chem. 2010;17(29):3337-3352.