OXIDATIVE STRESS IN CANCER, AIDS, AND NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES – LUC MONTAGNIER ET AL., (ED.) MARCEL DEKKER INC., NEW YORK: 447-461, 1998

Nutriceutical Modulation Of Glutathione With A Humanized Native Milk Serum Protein Isolate, Immunocal: Application In AIDS And Cancer.

S. Baruchel*, G. Viau*, R. Olivier**, G. Bounous***, M.A. Wainberg****

McGill University – Montreal Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, **Pasteur Institute Paris, France, ***Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, ****Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

ABSTRACT – The biological activity of the proteins isolated from cow’s milk in Immunocal depends on the preservation of those labile proteins which share with the predominant human milk proteins the same extremely rare glutathione (GSH)-promoting components. Cellular GSH depletion has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of degenerative conditions and disease states including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, arteriosclerosis, cataracts, cystic fibrosis, malnutrition, aging, AIDS, and cancer.

This newly discovered nutriceutical modulation of GSH by the use of humanized native milk serum protein isolate of bovine origin in AIDS and cancer may well find other applications in disease where oxidative stress and pathology of GSH metabolism are largely implicated. In a pilot study, this type of whey protein concentrate was found to be well tolerated in children with AIDS and wasting syndrome and was found associated with an improvement of the nutritional status of the patient. Moreover, the GSH promoting activity on the peripheral blood lymphocyte of this protein concentrate was validated in patients with initial low GSH levels. Extensive pharmaco-epidemiological study of GSH metabolism and standardized methods of measurement of intracellular GSH applicable in clinical trials are needed in order to better define the clinical application of this new type of therapy.