Cell therapy
Case Study
Georg v. Falkenhayn N.M.D.
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
(Southern College of Naturopathic Physicians,
Fayetteville, N.C. / The USA)
Definition
"Cell therapy", in its most common modality of reference, implies the use of cells for therapeutic
purposes. In this context, cell therapy belongs to the oldest
medical procedures, since these procedures also comprise: blood
transfusions, thrombocyte transfusions, erythrocyte concentrates, leukocyte suspensions, thymus
implantations, bone marrow implantations, transplant ions of liver tissue. In the linguistic use of the last
decades the words “cell therapy” started to be more commonly applied to the use of fetal, xenogenic tissue.
According to this limited definition, cell therapy , in its current practical application, is an implantation, by injection, of fetal or juvenile xenogen cells and
tissue suspensions.
My first encounter with cell therapy, was
during my youth. A distant uncle of mine (Dr. med. Joachim Stein)
had a clinic in Heidelberg, in which he treated patients afflicted by many different symptoms and illnesses
with so called fresh cells. This uncle had been a long-term companion of the Swiss physician Paul Niehans. At
that time, those physicians who, in my opinion, are to be considered as the pioneers of today's xenotransplantation, (that is the transplant of cells or tissue of
animal origin into humans), were either feebly mocked, or considered as "Quacks”. Both assumptions are
naturally erroneous, since the procedures involved are on the one hand very useful, and on the other side
scientifically explainable and provable.
Unfortunately cell therapy, or, as Niehans used to
say "cellular therapy" is today still associated with the so
called "fresh cells" of those times, and rejected as being ineffective, if not even dangerous, but this
notwithstanding, fresh cells in their original meaning still have a purpose . The different kinds of cell
therapy will be discussed later on. Furthermore they did not yet receive the recognition by school
medicine, that they would actually have deserved, although their scientific background is more substantial than that of quite a few other therapy forms
that are nowadays widely used.
Achievement and legend (from the book "Cell therapy a step into the future of medicine" by Prof.
Dr. med. Franz Schmid):
The epoch of mystic exaltation and of
exclusiveness was shaped by press reports about successful treatments, particularly by Paul NIEHANS, of
famous personalities. There was a flood of newspaper reports where the fact that quite a few famous
old people were still in full activity, was considered as
due to the treatment with "fresh cells“. Dozens of famous names
can be mentioned.
Since Paul NIEHANS had the utmost respect for the physician/ patient relationship as a strict bond
of trust which he guarded without any compromise, the historical truth of many of these representations can
be established only in those cases where treatments of many years’ duration took place or where personal
reports and discussions vouch for their content.
This applies to many crowned heads, among them
emperor Hirohito from Japan, emperor Heile Selassie from Ethiopia and King Ibn Saud of Saudi
Arabia. Quite a few famous people, such as Bernhard Baruch who
was bound to the wheelchair, were able to continue their activity for many years thanks to the treatment by
NIEHANS. The successful treatment by Niehans of a son of
Rockefeller who was suffering from a paralysis, apparently brought him the enmity of some famous university
professors who had
beforehand unsuccessfully treated this same patient.
A true friendship with writers such as Somerset Maugham or musicians such as William Furtwaengler,
grew following the medical
support.
Probably the most prominent patient of Paul NIEHANS was Pope Pius XII, who was treated twice by P.
NIEHANS. On the first treatment NIEHANS wrote, as desired by the Pope, a detailed patient report in two
volumes. After this first treatment NIEHANS’ opponents quipped that a diaphragmatic hernia could hardly be
healed by cell therapy. And actually, the therapeutic success
was primarily due to a tactful treatment that, by unorthodox means, succeeded in letting the Pope put on some
weight, and secondarily to the cell therapy, so that the necessary surgery was made possible. The close trust
that developed after this episode resulted in the admission of the former evangelic theologian Paul NIEHANS
into the papal Academy of Sciences as a successor of FLEMING, the discoverer of
penicillin.
Some other reports belong to the realm of legend. Whether Konrad Adenauer or Charles De Gaulle was
ever treated by P. NIEHANS has never been established. What is certain is that the quoted treatment of W.
Churchill never took place. His request for treatment, forwarded by diplomatic channels, was answered as
follows by Paul NIEHANS: "if W. Churchill on his way crossing my property in Geneva ever had an accident, I
would be ready to give him first aid assistance, but I would not be willing to give him any other treatment!"
This answer can only be comprehended if NIEHANS’ Prussian aristocratic basic attitude is taken into account.
This attitude brought him many difficulties in the country where he lived. Paul NIEHANS considered Churchill
as the chief responsible for many unreasonable and unnecessary cruelties during the last phases of the Second
World War and during the post-war period and for the division of Europe. His prior battle against the inhuman
treatment of German prisoners of war and German refugees brought him, together with recognitions – such as
the award of the Order of Merit by Theodor Heuss and honorary doctor title of the University of Tübingen -
also quite a few enemies.
Cell-therapy between glorification and
condemnation
Every genuine progress has to overcome four
hurdles
- First it is ignored,
- Then made ridiculous,
- Then tolerated,
- Then objectively
examined,
And then the goal is reached: it is considered
obvious!
Unfortunately, during the following years,
German researchers and scientists were no longer at the forefront of progress. In Russia e.g. research continued to progress more substantially than here, in the field
of xenotransplantation. Also, foreign researchers successfully transplanted cells, without using the term
“cell therapy”, let alone mentioning the German research.
After the highlight on cell
therapy during the 60's and 50's, which was actually brought
forward “ad absurdum” and partially in an adventurous manner, silence fell among the public on this treatment
form. Names such as Niehans, Bircher, Block, Dittmar, Wiedemann, Schmid, Theurer and Dykerhoff were soon
forgotten. Also, the legal situation in Germany did not offer a
solid basis for the legal safety of the therapists. Only a
recent judgement by the Federal Constitutional Court
during the year 2000 (1 BvR 420/97) reoffered a legal basis
to the still existing therapists in this area, by
waiving the prohibition of treatment with fresh cells existing
since 1997.
Here it is necessary to stress that treatment with cell therapy is not that
simple and requires an accurate, intensive training and a just as absolutely safe and precise diagnosis.
Furthermore it must also be stressed that cell therapy is not a universal remedy and certainly no "miracle
cure". This means: it must be skilfully understood; then however it is successful. "A correct action is worth
the effort it implies and gives a deep moral satisfaction" (Hoepke)
Let us now examine the different forms of cell
therapy that did not enter medical literature until cell therapy treatment according to Niehans. The history
of treating disease with body cells and tissues is as old as the history of the art of healing. Its traces
can already be found in the famous old-Egyptian papyrus Ebers, in the writings of Greek philosopher
Aristoteles (384-322 v. Chr.) and later on of the Swiss philosopher and physician Paracelsus (Theophrastus
Bombastus von Hohenheim, 1494-1541).
Nowadays the following preparations are
used:
- living fresh cells
- cell cultures from primary culture (precursor
or progenitor main cells) whereby NO embryonic cells find
application here
- dry cells (so-called
Lyophilizes)
- Ultrafiltrations of different organs and
tissues (peptides)
- Homoeopathic cell
preparations
- ready made
medications
from different donors (cattle, pigs, sheep,
rabbits) and of different ages (embryonic, foetal, adult).
All these forms are applied in my current
practice, whereby I give an absolute priority to treatment with
cells from a primary culture.
Niehans in his time, started the use of
injections of lyophilised dry cells, that is, cells dried by
freezing in an air vacuum, (a procedure which is known from the
preparation in similar way of soluble coffee
).
The modern preparation of all cell-therapy
products is nowadays safe, standardized and accomplished in
ultramodern laboratories . All cell preparations, when they are not listed as medical products, are prepared
by myself without the necessity for an official permission according to § 13 / 1 / 3 of the German law on medicinal products, in authorised and certified laboratories. Both the raw material and the final product are subject to strict
controls, e.g. on zoonoses, sterile conditions and pyrogen
potential. Here it is stressed that all preparations are made individually for every SINGLE patient and his individual disease. A passing on to other
patients is
impossible and legally forbidden.
Cell therapy is frequently qualified as a non specific stimulation therapy, usually by people who do not know, and do
not wish to know, this form of therapy, and certainly did
not try it themselves. This designation is absolutely
wrong. Actually, we are dealing with a specific information and regeneration therapy, that can be applied for
almost all degenerative illnesses, when cells are being destroyed. I will speak later on about the individual
indications.
Absolute contraindications
are:
- acute and chronic bacterial
infections
- acute viral infections (except when the
treatment is specifically aimed against those)
- vaccination (for a period of 4 weeks before or
after)
- acute allergic hyperergic
situations
- acute stress situations (e.g. recent cardiac
infarct, apoplectic stroke)
- terminal stage of any disease (so
called "last attempt")
It is again stressed, that a treatment with cell therapy, of whatever kind, without a
detailed medical history, a conscientious investigation with clear findings and safe exclusion of all risks,
can not be accomplished. This however is a characteristic
procedure always and principally applied by all responsible
therapists in relationship with ALL kinds of planned therapies
.
In my practice a cell therapy is only
accomplished after an intensive pre-treatment of at least one week duration. During this pre-treatment
patients are brought into the best possible physical and psychological condition, as regards their immune
system, liquid substitution and detoxification functions of their organs . After
treatment, patients remain under close observation for a further
period of three to five days and may start their journey home only after a renewed detailed investigation.
Before dealing with the single illnesses, which I
successfully treated with cell therapy and which originate from
the rich wealth of observations of experienced colleagues, let me deal in depth with the impact of this
method.
Effective principles of cell therapy are:
1. The high content of
a)
biochemical substrates
b)
Enzymes in fetal cells
2. Their composition of elements and trace
elements, in accordance with biological concentrations and relationships
3. The energy of foetal and juvenile tissues,
which is high in relation to their mass.
4. The corroborating and antimicrobial
effect
Investigations carried out with tracing
techniques were able to follow the route along which injected tissues are moving. According to our current
knowledge, implanted cells are taken up very rapidly by the microphages, are attached to the
membranes of the microphages and already within the first two
hours they are phagocyted, together with the microphages, by the body-own macrophages (monocytes). Then,
within these macrophages the digesting procedure begins,
extending approximately over two days . After this time it is no longer possible, even by electron-optics, to detect any particle of the implanted
cells .
"As far as our present information reach, the
incorporation of this metabolized implanted tissue particles can
reach an order of magnitude corresponding to that of the oligopeptides ; it is however proved by the
passive transmission of Immunoglobulin M in case of Tuberculin allergy, that even macromolecules with a molecular weight of
approximately 960 000 (!) can be transferred by means of cells to the receiver organism and can carry on their specific function therein, even if they
originate from organisms of other living species "(Schmid)
Effects and side-effects of the cell
therapy
The implantation causes pain because of the
volume pressure connected to the raising and stretching of the skin ( when lyophilised material is used). The
pain can usually last 2-4 minutes, but can continue up to 5-10
minutes when larger quantities are forcefully injected.
When cultivated cells are injected into the range of the
aponeurosis of the m. obliquus rect. ext. besides the volume
pressure pain there may be, for a few hours, a large-scale
muscle pain, similar to the strain after intensive belly muscle training.
I will deal in depth later on with
the specific treatment with the cell cultures I mentioned, since it takes an important place in my current
practice.
Here general viewpoints are presented, that
apply to all forms of cell application and preparations.
The actual acute phase proceeds concomitantly
with the metabolic and transport processes in the organism.
This acute phase may be accompanied, in a small number of cases, by light rises in body
temperature from 0,5 to 1 degree Celsius (thus about 37,8 to 38,5 degrees Celsius) for a few hours or 1 - 2
days. In the blood a leukocyte increase with a rise of the polymorph nuclear cells
(Polynukleaeren?) can be found at this time, as a sign of the leukocyte combat phase; this phase runs together with to the absorption
of the implanted cell particles by the membranes of the leukocytes. Adults
frequently describe an agreeable need for rest, similar to the feeling after a rich meal, others speak of feeling tired for a few days. Also an
increased appetite and dislike against alcohol are occasionally reported.
Children may show two opposing symptoms during
the acute phase: a need for sleep lasting several hours to 2 days, on the one hand and hypermotility and excitation
on the other hand. In the majority of children an acute phase is
not evident.
The effectiveness phase diminishes usually
during the 3. and
4. week after the injection. This appears very convincingly from
the hundredfold observations of parents of handicapped children, who speak of a huge leap, or sometimes
"explosion" in the child’s motor, linguistic, mental or behavioural functions. This phase lasts for
approximately 3 months, and then diminishes, and after 5-6 months falls below the threshold of
detectable effects.
When using hormonally active organs such as the placenta, testes, adrenal glands, a direct effect after the implantation is quite often
observed, resulting in a better blood circulation in the body
periphery, a feeling of wellness and deep
sleep.
In exceptional cases however immediately after the implantation "jerky nights" are also
reported.
Latency phase
Between the acute phase and the effectiveness phase there is a latency phase of varying
lengths. It is during this period that , after the assimilation
and elimination of the implanted material, its distribution in
the body and its blending in with the homologous structures takes place. In adults this latency can last
from weeks to months. Usually the latency period extends over 10
- 25 days.
Besides this general time schedule, there are,
in addition, impressive examples of earlier or later onset of effects, especially in cases of intraperitoneal injection and in relationship with the longer time
intervals with older people.
(to be
continued)
Contentwise responsibility and to the establishment of
contact:
Dr. Georg v. Falkenhayn
Bahnhofstraße 13a
24217 Schoenberg - Germany
Fon: 0049 - 4344 - 301 740
Fax: 0049 - 4344 - 301 741
see: Clinic-web-site
E-mail: info@von-falkenhayn.com
for further information visit my website
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