Gc-MAF or GcMAF? Either way, is it a cure for cancer?
Gc-MAF or GcMAF is a natural protein-derived macrophage activating factor. It is dervived from a functional change in the Gc protein, which is a vitamin D binding protein. A Macrophage Activating Factor is a lymphokine that primes macrophages to kill tumour cells.
In simple English, Gc-MAF (which is a naturally occurring protein in the body) kicks macrophages (a type of white cell which kills invasive cells) into 'action' so that they can then attack and destroy cancer cells and almost all invasive cells such as viruses and tiny infectious particles.
In people with cancer (and viral illnesses), production of Gc-MAF is blocked by an enzyme called Nagalase, which is produced by many viruses and cancers in order to beat the immune system.
The idea is simple - inject patients with Gc-MAF and overwhelm the nagalase and so the macrophages can be activated to do their job.
Like any immunotherapy - even the drugs that cost more than $300,000 US per year - Gc-MAF thus 'reduces the brakes', or 'reduces the blockages' within the immune system allowing it to work more effectively.
Gc-Maf - a Natural Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy is all the buzz at the moment. Full of promise (but we’ve heard that before), in fact, the results are a bit mixed. Many of the new immunotherapy drugs like nivolumab or ipilimumab can be really effective but only in 17-18% of cases at most in the short to mid-term. One possibility is that immunotherapy needs to be specifically tailored to the individual patient, for example, as with Dendritic cell therapy. But this, again, has only been achieving a maximum response in 12 - 15% of cases.
There are many different cells in the immune system and they all do different jobs. Some of them need help. You can boost their numbers (with drugs or herbs), but then they need to ’see’ the opposition - polysaccharides help here, and MAF is a polysaccharide. They also cannot attack a cancer cell until a T-lymphocyte ‘picks up’ a vitamin D molecule. And research says taking probiotics is essential to make them work better! Clearly the totality of the immune system might be better stimulated using a package of treatments. Dr. Thomas Lodi told me that, "With Gc-MAF, some cancer centres are getting a much higher response where they sensitise the system using Interleukin-2 or IL-2". I believe it!
Gc-MAF is claimed to be very potent and even at low concentrations seems to activate, regulate and expand macrophage numbers. European manufacturers, Immuno Biotech, say that it costs only a fraction of the price of a chemotherapy drug.
What's the CANCERactive view on Gc-MAF
Chris Woollams, former Oxford University Biochemist and a founder of CANCERactive said, "There are three issues:
1. Is the science and research potentially sound?
2. Is there a protocol?
3. Why is it 'banned'?
1. The Science on GcMAF:
First, the logic and the basic science sounds frighteningly obvious. If cancer cells block the immune system by producing lots of nagalase, one option is to overwhelm the nagalase! Unfortunately, life ain't that simple - the immune system not just one thing but a complex multi-faceted system. There's definitely more work to be done.
Immuno Biotech are not actually the pioneers or leaders in Worldwide Gc-MAF development. This honour seems to fall to the leaders in Japan, the Saisei Mirai Clinics. After 20 years work, in 2011 they developed their second generation GCMAF products which may be injected or taken orally or sub-ligually. The newest version is obtained from colostrum. Dosages are 48 over a 6-month period (2 per week) or 3 per week in difficult cases. Importantly, Mirai uses GcMAF with drugs (for example Herceptin or monoclonal antibodies). His second and third generation GCMAF products have been developed alongside the University of Tokushima. They have pointed out following work in their vast modern laboratories that one of the biggest threats in your body to GcMAF is liver disease and of course cancer very quickly attacks the liver.
In one study (1) researchers set about tailoring an immune response with an integrative immunotherapy approach using this second-generation group-specific component Macrophage Activating Factor (GcMAF-containing) from human serum and colostrum. Other studies have involved breast cancer, colon and prostate cancer - and even HIV.
By March 2013, Saisei Mirai had treated over 345 patients with GcMAF. In the cases of three patients, the integrative immunotherapy was ‘remarkably effective’. Given the results seemed hopeful, a comparative clinical study was planned.
It would help if we had some good and clear research about Gc-Maf as 3 out of 345 sounds pretty low to me. True, we have had a couple of patients in Japan doing well on Gc-MAF and in my chats with Thomas Lodi, his view is that it does work but you must simultaneously create the conditions for it to work by enhancing the immune system in other ways and 'priming it'.
But is there more research? The treatment was originally developed by American, Dr Nobuto Yamamoto who claimed it worked 100% of the time on breast, prostate, colorectal and other cancers. This followed three clinical trials he conducted. Critics claim the numbers were small with approximately 20 patients in each (but I’ve seen brain cancer drugs in a blaze of glory following research with 16 people, so the jury – my jury – is out on that one). Far more importantly. He didn’t use control groups. And they might have all survived the research period too. After analysis of the studies by The Anticancer Fund, he withdrew his papers from publications, even though the editors had previously accepted the articles as valid.
Next then, one of the issues for Gc-MAF is: which product are they researching and then selling to patients? Are we talking the banned American version, the banned European version, or the well developed Japanese version?
In 2014 there was a website called GcMAF.eu. On it, it stated ‘As of February 2013, on the American National Library of Medicine alone, 142 eminent scientists from 8 nations have published 59 major GcMAF research papers. These can be viewed on the US Government’s Pubmed system.
Our GcMAF is the only publicly available GcMAF that is used in these research papers’.
Are patients really going to go chasing round the Internet for research? No. If the research is so great, give us summaries of the top 50 studies! The problem is that a lot of the research is simply about Macrophage Activating Factor and any biochemist knows about that. One study(2) 'on Gc-MAF was really about the binding properties of vitamin D to Gc protein. I want evidence that Gc-MAF does what it says on the can! And I want to be clear whose version of Gc-MAF we are researching!
Certainly when Lord Saatchi was taking his bill, allowing all doctors freedom to prescribe almost anything they might feel would work, to the House of Lords there were links to Gc-MAF on his website with 50 or so studies.
It is also claimed to work with ME, hepatitis viruses, EBV and Autism. And you should keep taking your supplements, especially the ones that boost your immune system. The odd dribble of Royal Jelly seems to help.
2. Is there a clear Gc-MAF protocol?
The standard protocol used by the researchers (1) above was:
A GcMAF-containing human serum administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously once or twice per week for the duration of cancer therapy until all cancer cells are eradicated.
This was studied using hyper T/natural killer (NK) cell therapy, which was given once per week for six weeks; and
High-dose vitamin C administered intravenously twice per week; and,
Alpha lipoic acid (600 mg) administered orally daily; and,
Vitamin D3 (5,000-10,000 IU) administered orally daily.On the GcMAF website, the ’treatment’ protocol shown above also talks about a particular diet and avoiding sugar - it seems almost a standard ketogenic diet. It talks of increasing oxygen levels and the importance of exercise. And of the need for trace minerals and amino acids. Oh, and vitamin D. Have they been reading my book, ’Everything you need to know to help you beat cancer?’
Click here to find out more about the book ’Everything you need to know to help you beat cancer'.
At CANCERactive this protocol is all pretty standard stuff. And it should make a big difference to a person with cancer, even without Gc-MAF.
In 2016, research in Cancer Watch showed that people who ate high levels of soluble fibre had the strongest immune systems. Really? Diet boosts the immune system? Yes, a soluble fibre diet boosts levels of certain helpful gut bacteria and the immune system is stimulated in response.
In 2017 The American Cancer Society showed that people with Stage 3, Grade 3 cancers who stuck to a disciplined diet and exercise programme increased survival by 31% and had 42% less death across a 7 year period. So is it Gc-Maf or the protocol that's working?
Then there’s some slightly questionable stuff in the Gc-Maf Website protocol - you need to take molybdenum and have your root canals removed. ’Eye of newt, tongue of toad’ - sorry that’s just me playing.
’If you are already thinking of buying Vitamin D, you might like to look at the Natural Selection shop by clicking here’.
The aim of the game is to boost your immune system to recognize and then attack the rogue cancer cells.
Immunotherapy is full of potential. And having scientists that understand the need reboot the whole system, not just a piece of it, is essential. Oncologists treating patients with Interferon or Interleukin, please note. While the Swiss Immuno Biotech people talk of standard and sensible diet, exercise and supplement programmes, Integrative cancer experts like Dr. Lodi are talking about using IL-2 to boost and sensitise the whole system first. I have a feeling you should be doing both.
If it works, which bit did the trick? Would you care? Of course not.
Anybody trying to beat cancer can, and should, start with the Rainbow Diet and exercise and vitamin D, and a few other things that we tell you about constantly.
A course of Gc-MAF in Switzerland starts at 600 - 700 euros.
If you go the whole hog with a trip to the clinic in Switzerland, you should note that, according to the blurb, you need to keep taking GcMAF for 8 weeks after the tumours have gone.
There’s confidence for you.
In Japan, it's a six month programme and they are wary about you taking it home and just popping the pills.
3. Why is it banned?
It is banned because no one has gone to the Health Authorities with the three Phases of Clinical Trials that are required by law. When someone has presented clear evidence, it will be approved. That's how the system works. But.
We have actually done a lot of research on immunotherapy. The problem to date - even including the new wonder immunotherapy drugs - is that immunotherapy has never lived up to its potential. As we said above, nothing works at more than, say 10-12% in the long-term.
Immunotherapy as an idea is not new - since 1920 and Sloane Kettering's Dr. Coley and his toxins, oncologists have been trying many avenues, for example, using Interferon and Interleukin and now IPD-1 and CAR-T drugs.
Then there's Dendritic Cell Therapy (and others) which uses samples of the cancer and your body’s white cells to tailor-make the perfect attackers.
Go To: A review of Cancer Active Immunotherapy
Gc-MAF, conspiracy theories, suicides and court cases
The conspiracy theorists are at work in the UK and America right now about this, saying that nagalase is being included in vaccines (even child vaccines) to stop natural Gc-MAF in the body wiping out the viral part of the vaccine. And some holistic doctors (like Dr. Jeff Bradstreet and team) believed that nagalase was directly linked to autism and other modern illnesses. There were claims that Bradstreet’s team having found nagalase in vaccines were planning a big scandal and even had to code/encrypt conversations between team members. Whatever. Their Florida Clinic was raided and everything removed. Three days later Dr. Bradstreet apparently committed suicide. It was rather puzzling that he would choose to do this by shooting himself as he drove into a river, especially since as a doctor he would have had access to more dignified ways of dying.
UK importation of Gc-Maf has (Feb 2015) been banned from Guernsey (there was a clinic there), Cancer Research UK (as usual) says it’s risky stuff (or words to that effect) and that year Nat West in Guernsey unilaterally shut the company’s bank account freezing their assets. The UK ’factory’ in Milton, Cambridgeshire was suddenly ’inspected’ after a complaint from Guernsey that the blood plasma starting material was not for use in humans or drugs.
However, having seized 10,000 vials of the product and warned various countries who were using this ’unlicensed medicine’, the MHRA did say that they had received no reports of problems or side-effects. These particular products were all labelled ’First Immune’ and the MHRA say they are ’not licensed medicines, and have not been tested for quality, safety or effectiveness’.
Despite this, months later a BBC investigative journalist still found it for sale in Guernsey - a vial can set you back 700 euros and a month’s treatment can cost $1,000. David Noakes of Immuno Biotech kept selling the product (which because it is a cancer treatment and has no phase III Clinical Trial, is not 'approved' and thus 'licensed' by any regulatory body) and has ended up in Court. You can read a report and letter from Noakes about being raided and the conspiracy theories on Check The Evidence.
Swiss authorities have investigated the company. There are apparently 10 ’factories’ worldwide. We had several cancer patients in Japan who were recommended to use the product by their oncologists. The product is banned by the FDA in America. It i.s widely used in Asia, Mexico and South America
There’s some strong feelings out there but few are based on scientific debate. Of course conspiracy theorists smell the hand of Big Pharma, especially given that GC-Maf is cheap, non-invasive and, anecdotally, it does seem to work a bit.
We note that Dr Meheus of the Anticancer Fund justified their attacks on Gc-MAF by saying "Our goal is to avoid that cancer patients are misled by seemingly scientific evidence that turns out to be of questionable quality". If he really believes that, he is going to have his work cut out. Fraud, lies, falsified research and more were exactly the charges laid at the door of Pharmaceutical Companies by Peter Goetzsche Head of the prestigious Nordic Cochrane Centre in his book "Deadly Medicines and Organised Crime. How Big Pharma has Corrupted Healthcare". Even the FDA have reported that 45% of the drug Clinical Trials they receive and approve are flawed.
It’s the usual mess that surrounds most non-toxic, non-invasive treatments that are a potential threat to Big Pharma - and as usual, it is the patient who suffers. Obviously that's the skeptics' primary aim. Sow seeds of doubt rather than ask for really scientific debate and evidence.
But, the truth is that to beat the expensive new immunotherapy drugs Gc-MAF only needs a long-term effect in 10-15% of patients at most. 7% is the long-term norm for most immunotherapy treatments so far. However, the new drugs also produce a severe side-effect in at least 20% of people while none is reported with Gc-MAF.
Because of the poor performance of the immunotherapy wonder drugs, oncologists have taken to trying two different drugs in combination. There the medium-term effect is just 11%, while 3% of patients can't take the drug combinationss at all, and die.
Gc-MAF is freely available in Japan, China and most of Asia.
Read more on the Immuno Biotech site. And HERE on the website of Alternative Health.
Read about Saisei Clinic HERE
Using Gc-MAF second generation product - summary
Chris Woollams adds, "You should be doing the diet, exercise and supplement protocol anyway if you have cancer. Then, if you add in Gc-MAF, do it with a recognised Integrative cancer expert like Lodi, and use proven treatments like Interleukin to boost the effects. I doubt just taking a few pills at home does any good at all. Personally, I would refer to the Japanese Website and use the Japanese second generation product. It's interesting that they use it integratively with orthodox medicines, although monoclonal or immunotherapy treatments and not old-fashioned chemo".
Ref:
1. Anticancer Res. 2013 Jul;33(7):2917-9, Inui T, Kuchiike D, Kubo K, Mette M, Uto Y, Hori H, Sakamoto N
2. http://wellness4cancer.com/research/gcmaf-research/.
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