Finding Genius Podcast

The latest in cancer therapeutics is just around the corner. Press play to learn from a true expert in the field and discover: How immune checkpoint inhibitors work What can be learned from the triangular communication that occurs between a primary tumor, metastatic site, and bone marrow When new and unprecedented therapeutics for cancer may be commercially available Dr. Doru Paul is Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, a practicing oncologist and hematologist who has treated more than 10,000 patients with various types of cancers over the years, and a clinical and translational researcher who has been involved with over 30 studies in oncology. He also works within the realm of theoretical biology, all with the goal of better understanding cancer and finding more effective, less toxic ways to treat it. Dr. Paul has only been practicing at Cornell for the past three years, but he’s been at the cancer riddle for more than 33 years now. While at Cornell, he has focused on the treatment of head and neck cancers, some of the most common being throat, nasopharynx, and thyroid cancer. In today’s show, he explains the recent success with immunotherapy, both by itself and in combination with chemotherapy, as well as some of the newest medications being used, like monoclonal antibody (MAB) immune checkpoint inhibitors. He discusses the use of FDG-PET (fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography) to attack cancer vulnerabilities, dispels some of the misconceptions surrounding this approach, and explains why it’s actually effective and free of side effects. He also discusses an idea that he’s been developing over the past six years, which requires zooming out from the microscopic level to the macroscopic level and focusing on the killer of 90 percent of patients: metastasis. Specifically, he talks about the communication that occurs between primary tumors, metastatic sites, and bone marrow, and targeted approaches that function at this level. Tune in for details on these topics and more. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

Cancer has impacted almost every single person on the planet in one way or another. Maybe you’ve had it yourself, or know someone who has. Despite how long it’s plagued the human species, the opportunities for a deeper understanding of its causes and mechanisms are vast. Tune in to discover: How cells undergo non-genetic heritable changes, and how this might explain the development of cancer Whether it’s actually true that all cancer cells undergo unlimited proliferation What properties make certain tumor types particularly aggressive Gάbor Balάzsi is Henry Laufer Endowed Professor of physical and quantitative biology, and professor of biomedical engineering at Stony Brook University in New York. He joins the show to answer a series of challenging and important questions about cancer. How does cancer first start and why? What abilities do cancer cells have that other cells don’t? And why do certain types of cancers seem to prefer specific sites for metastasis? There are just a few of the compelling questions that Balάzsi offers insight on, diving into the details of tumor heterogeneity, the positive feedback mechanism that can perpetuate cytoplasmic conditions, whether there’s a certain point at which a tumor establishes a sense of ‘self’ versus ‘other’, the impact of cell-to cell signaling disruption, tumor structure, the difference between primary tumors and metastasis, and the latest breakthroughs in cancer treatment. Balάzsi discusses immunotherapy, the drawbacks of targeted drug therapies, gene therapy and RNA or DNA-based vaccines, and more innovative approaches to cancer treatment. Learn more at https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/bme/people/g_balazsi.php. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

Imagine being given two options: lose your license to practice medicine, or keep quiet about a substance that you know has revolutionary therapeutic applications. You might think no doctor would ever find themselves in such a position. Think again.    And press play to learn: How chlorine dioxide is able to kill pathogens, but not biological tissues How chlorine dioxide and its use as a therapy for some illnesses was discovered Why you won’t find the information in this podcast anywhere else, unless you dig really deep Ken McCarthy, a pioneer in the movement to commercialize the internet, a wealth of knowledge on internet advertising and marketing, and former student of neuroscience at Princeton University, presents a compelling argument for the safe and effective use of chlorine dioxide as a therapeutic for a range of illnesses. If he’s right, why don’t you know about it? Or maybe what you do know about it is that it's a dangerous toxin, not to be touched. McCarthy begins with some indisputable facts: 1)      Chlorine dioxide is an FDA-approved Class II food additive 2)      The EPA has approved the use of chlorine dioxide as a water purifier 3)      Chlorine dioxide was used during the 2001 anthrax attacks to clear the Capitol Building of any anthrax remnants 4)      Chlorine dioxide is used as a sterilization substance in the treatment of Ebola 5)      The administration of trace amounts of chlorine dioxide is part of some protocols for the treatment of children with autism 6)      Chlorine dioxide can kill coronaviruses McCarthy also offers an impressive and surprising amount of anecdotal evidence in support of the argument that chlorine dioxide is an effective therapy. He names specific people who have written articles or news stories that contain misinformation or flat-out lies about chlorine dioxide, and explains what motivates the powers that be to conceal the truth from the public.   Could it have something to do with the fact that one therapeutic dose of chlorine dioxide costs less than a penny? And that, given its true potential as a treatment for a range of common ailments, Big Pharma might not like this? McCarthy seems to think so, and by the end of the podcast, you probably will too. Press play to learn more. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

Does your brain function as a filtering device for your mind? It might sound strange, and you might think there’s no way. But consider that the eyes filter visual input and the ears filter auditory input, leaving us only with the stimuli we need for physical survival.  Couldn’t the brain also act as a filtering device, allowing only those thoughts which enable our survival in one way or another? Press play to explore this idea and discover: What might happen to the mind-brain connection during near-death experiences, and what this says about the function of the brain versus the mind How cultural background influences the way people interpret near-death experiences Whether there’s evidence that non-human animals also have near-death experiences and are similarly impacted by them What terminal lucidity is, and how it might relate to near-death experiences Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Dr. Bruce Greyson, was raised in a scientific household void of any focus on things in the nonphysical, spiritual, or religious realm. As such, he journeyed through college and medical school with a materialistic mindset. But it wasn’t long before he began encountering inexplicable stories of people who had come close to death, and recounted "near-death experiences." As a skeptic, Dr. Greyson wanted to test the phenomena with hypotheses that fit into his materialistic understanding of life and death. Could near-death experiences be explained by oxygen deprivation or high levels of CO2? Could it be unusual activity in the brain? Or the drugs that are often administered to people on the verge of death? Could it be chemicals produced by the brain itself? These hypotheses and more have been tested using data gathered over the last 20 to 30 years, and not one of them has held up in near-death situations. “Most people find near-death experiences interesting because of what they may tell us about death and dying and what happens after death, but for me as a psychiatrist, what’s most interesting is what they tell us about life and living,” says Dr. Greyson. He continues this line of thought by sharing with listeners the profound impact that near-death experiences have on the people who experience them. The overarching commonality is this: a near-death experience leaves the person with a new outlook on life and value, and a new desire to help people by living in accordance with the Golden Rule. Dr. Greyson has heard countless stories of people who worked in violent or competitive business professions, and following a near-death experience, could not possibly continue the same lifestyle. Instead, they entered a helping profession. In essence, the things these people had known their entire lives become foreign and nearly inconceivable to them. Dr. Greyson has recently written a book on the topic called After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond, which is slated for release on March 2, 2021. Tune in to explore this other-worldly topic in more depth, and keep an eye out for Dr. Greyson’s book. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

You could very well have cancer cells circulating in your body at this very moment. But don’t worry, because if you do, you’ll probably never know it. And you can thank your immune system for that. So how does cancer develop at all? Why and when does the immune system fail to protect us from cancer? And how can this knowledge lead to an effective treatment? Tune in for the answers to these questions and more, including: Why patchy losses of skin color in people who have melanoma is a good sign that the immune system is doing its job How the body can develop a memory of tumors, equipping it to promptly attack cancer cells that show up months, years, or even decades after the initial tumor About how many immunosuppressive mechanisms exist, and how they work At Dartmouth College, Steven Fiering is a professor of microbiology, immunology, and genetics, with a primary focus on immunotherapy for cancer. While there are good treatments for cancers that have not metastasized, like surgery and radiation, outcomes for metastatic solid tumors are almost universally poor. According to Fiering and many others, immunotherapy might be the solution. The bulk of Fiering’s work boils down to a rather simple understanding of the immune system: it is a constant balance between suppressive and stimulatory signals from other cells in the body. When it receives a certain level of stimulatory signals, the immune response kicks into gear; when it receives a certain level of suppressive signals, its function is reduced. We also know that there are immunosuppressant characteristics of cancer that the immune system can’t destroy. “Any immunotherapy that works has to overcome the immunosuppression that’s manifested by the tumor,” explains Fiering. In light of this understanding, Fiering is focused on using known immunostimulatory reagents to directly change the environment within a tumor, from immunosuppressive to immunostimulatory. He is researching how to optimize the use of these reagents for the best immune response against tumors that are directly treated by them, as well as the best systemic response against metastatic disease. In short, immunotherapy might hold the key to effective treatment of metastatic cancers without the detrimental side effects of chemotherapy. This would be an absolute breakthrough in the world of cancer. Press play for an in-depth conversation about this work and so much more. Learn more at https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/faculty/facultydb/view.php/?uid=126. Check out https://www.mosaicie.com/ to learn about a new startup that Fiering is involved in. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

The US Federal Government continues to hide clear evidence resulting from a 10-year, $30 million study funded by the FDA: radiation from wireless technology causes cancer and breaks DNA. In fact, the government not only has this knowledge, but uses it as a weapon. Thousands of studies over past decades show clear evidence of biological harm caused by wireless technology radiation, yet most of us don’t think twice about our exposure to it. Listeners will learn: How the frequencies in wireless technology can be weaponized    The true reason 5G is being rolled out, and it’s not to improve the speed of your internet The difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and how both cause the same level of biological damage What legal recourse is being taken against the FCC for having ignored over 11,000 pages of evidence submitted to Docket No. 13-84 Why and how adverse health effects are less about radiation levels, and more about the pulsation and modulation of carrier waves, which are what make wireless transmission of information possible “We are electric beings, and this is electricity, millions and trillions of times higher than what our bodies can tolerate. There are clearly going to be effects, even if we want to believe otherwise,” says Dafna Tachover. Tachover worked with and developed a passion for wireless technology for many years…until it made her so sick that she had to stop. This compelled her to find out why and how this technology has the ability to cause her and others so much sickness. She has since become Director of the Stop 5G & Wireless Harms Project for Children’s Health Defense and Founder of We Are The Evidence, an advocacy organization which helps protect the rights of those who have been injured by wireless technology radiation. And as an attorney, Tachover is tackling the issue from a legal perspective. She explains the details of her intensive and unprecedented case against the FCC. She also explains the science behind the impacts of wireless technology radiation on our health, which often begin with tingling in the hands or fingers and can lead to severe headaches, ringing in the ears, heart palpitations, nose bleeds, noise sensitivities, visual impairments, cognitive and memory problems, and symptoms characteristic of ADHD. It’s estimated that at least 10 percent of people already have symptoms of radiation sickness without knowing it, and the true percentage is probably much higher. So, what can you do? Tachover lists practical, simple steps that you can take to protect yourself and those you love. This isn’t one to miss. Press play and check out these resources to learn more: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/ https://www.americansforresponsibletech.org/ https://mdsafetech.org/ Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

Royal jelly, honey, propolis, pollen…the list of bee products that many of use from day to day is long. But fewer people are aware that there’s something less tangible yet just as healing about bees: their energy. Press play to step into the medicinal world of bees and learn: Why and how one teaspoon of honey per day can prolong your life How bees clean the air inside their hives, and how humans can benefit from this too What studies have shown about the regenerative properties of royal jelly, and how this provides additional evidence of its effectiveness in treating multiple sclerosis (MS) What is known about the composition and properties of different types of propolis around the world Since entering the field of medicine 33 years ago, Cristina Aosan wanted to treat everything—including that which conventional medicine said was untreatable or uncurable. To this end, she began studying various topics on her own, which led her to apitherapy, a branch of medicine that uses honey bee products to treat people. As a physician at Melidava Consulting in Romania, Aosan treats people with nearly every type of ailment you can imagine, including multiple sclerosis, tumors, liver viruses, and obstructive atherosclerosis. She takes an individualized approach with each patient, drawing from an extensive toolbox containing honey, propolis, royal jelly, drone larvae, pollen, and more. In some places, patients can even stay in homes arranged near bee hives to take in the healing and harmonious energy of the bees themselves—a practice that is becoming increasingly well-known. Aosan explains the applications of various bee products, the history of apitherapy and its use by the Egyptians and other ancient civilizations, how bees use propolis as an air-cleaning mechanism, and what she hopes is in store for the future of apitherapy. Tune in for all the details. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Timothy Saunders, Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore’s Mechanobiology Institute, shares his insights on the science of morphogenesis developmental biology, the study of tissue formation and organization in plant and animal species. Listen to learn more about: How organs are formed The morphological features of plants versus animals How organs change during pregnancy How vital organs develop, particularly in human embryos, is considered a long standing mystery by much of humanity. How do our cells know how to organize and replicate in order to form correctly structured and functional organs? How do they know when to stop replicating and not to continue growing past the ideal size? Timothy and his team aim to increase the understanding of developmental biology in both the medical community and the general public. Much of the research done in this area has centered around plants and fish, which can repair injury and regrow after amputation. What can be learned from these types of organisms? What can be gained from the study of human tissue generation in utero? Large-scale, high-resolution imaging technology is enabling the study of precisely how tissues interact during organ formation in humans. This in combination with the use of organoids grown from organ tissue and stem cells could break open the case of how to apply morphogenesis embryology to possible heal damaged organs in the future. For more information visit https://www.mbi.nus.edu.sg/timothy-saunders/saunders-lab/ Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Are customized cancer treatments a real possibility? Benjamin D. Hopkins, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Genomics and Genetic Sciences, Oncological Sciences, and the co-leader of the Functional Genomics Pipeline at The Tisch Cancer Institute. His cancer genetics research has developed an automated screening platform that can be used to identify tumor-specific drug sensitivities used for highly specialized cancer treatment. Tune in to learn more about: Cancer genetics and genomes What the ability to identify a drug resistance mechanism means for cancer treatment The importance of the cancer research impact factor when searching for the most accurate information Dr. Hopkins focuses particularly on lung, breast, and pancreatic cancer, which is one of the 20% of cancers with no specific standard treatment plan. The Functional Genomics Pipeline as a whole screens cancer therapies to identify which types of patients with which types of tumors may be able to benefit from those therapies. Using cancer genome sequencing, it has become possible to identify tumor-specific vulnerabilities, which can then be exploited for cancer treatment purposes. This includes using one medication to sensitize tumor cells to another medication, as a way to reduce the collateral damage done to healthy cells during cancer treatment. Knowing exactly which mutational events are driving each specific tumor allows Dr. Hopkins and his team to target the specific mechanisms that tumor relies upon to thrive and multiply. This highly individualized approach in combination with public campaigns such as Breast Cancer Awareness month could lead to a future where cancer is considered a treatable disease across the board. For more information visit https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/hopkinslab/ Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

What is missing when it comes to Western medicine’s standard approach to treating chronic health problems? Dr. Will Cole, author of Intuitive Fasting: The Flexible Four-Week Intermittent Fasting Plan to Recharge Your Metabolism and Renew Your Health, grew up watching his loved ones battle autoimmune disorders. Now, he is leading a movement to change the way we treat chronic diseases using functional medicine. Tune in to discover: New ways to discover the underlying causes of chronic disease How to get out of fight or flight mode and back into a state of “rest and digest” The role of intuition in intermittent fasting Dr. Cole looks beyond simple numbers and lab results in order to treat the whole patient and not just their current symptoms. His natural and holistic approach often utilizes functional medicine nutrition, intuitive eating intermittent fasting, and a hormonal imbalance diet. Understanding autoimmune thyroid disease, for example, and which foods can prompt the body to produce its own thyroid hormones can avoid unnecessary dependence on medications and highlight the importance of lifestyle in disease treatment. Intuitively intermittent fasting combined with a mostly plant based high fat, moderate protein, low carbohydrate diet has been shown to support the metabolic process and protect against insulin resistance and digestive problems symptoms. Dr. Cole’s four-week plan makes the benefits of fasting and eating a plant based ketogenic diet accessible to beginners who may want to treat specific issues, improve their overall health, or both. Embracing functional medicine education can provide those suffering from chronic illness with a way to take their health and their personal power back into their own hands. To learn more or book a consult visit https://drwillcole.com/ Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK