The following material is excerpted from the book "The Electrical Properties of Cancer Cells" by: Steve Haltiwanger MD, CCN:
The human body is an electro chemical machine driven by currents and enzymes – or why enzyme therapy is a crucial and effective addition to immune therapy in cancer patients.
About 100 years ago in the western world the study of biochemical interactions became the prevailing paradigm used to explain cellular function and disease progression. The pharmaceutical industry subsequently became very successful in using this model in developing a series of effective drugs. As medicine became transformed into a huge business during the 20th century medical therapies became largely based on drug therapies.
These pharmaceutical successes have enabled drug manufacturers to become wealthy and the dominant influence in medicine. At this point in time the supremacy of the biochemical paradigm and pharmaceutical influences have caused almost all research in medicine to be directed toward understanding the chemistry of the body and the effects that patentable drugs have on altering that chemistry.
Molecular biochemistry, despite its greatest success has overlooked major problems, if not a whole dimension, for some of the existing questions remain unanswered, if not unasked (Szent-Gyorgyi, 1968). Gyorgyi believes that biochemical explanations alone fail to explain the role of electricity in cellular regulation.
Electromagnetic fields are employed by living organisms as information conveyors from the environment to the organism, within the organism and among organisms and are involved in life’s vital processes in that they facilitate pattern formation, organization and growth control (Presman, 1970).
Living organisms possess the ability to utilize electromagnetic fields and electricity and the physical structures within the cells that facilitate the sensing, transducing, storing and transmitting of this form of energy are: transducers (membrane receptors), inductors (membrane receptors and DNA), capacitors (cell and organelle membranes), resonators (membranes and DNA), tuning circuits ( membrane-protein complexes), and semiconductors (liquid crystal protein polymers).
Normal cells possess the ability to communicate information inside themselves and between other cells. The coordination of information by the cells of the body is involved in the regulation and integration of cellular functions and cell growth. When cancer arises cancer cells are no longer regulated by normal control mechanisms.
When an injury occurs in the body, normal cells proliferate and either replace the destroyed and damaged cells with new cells or scar tissue. One characteristic feature of both proliferating cells and cancer cells is that these cells have membrane potentials that are lower than the cell membrane potential of healthy adult cells (Cone, 1975).
After the repair is completed the normal cells in the area of injury stop growing and their membrane potential returns to normal. In cancerous tissue the electrical potential of the cell membranes is maintained at a lower level than that of healthy cells and electrical connections are disrupted.
Cancerous cells also possess other features that are different from normal proliferating cells. Normal cells are well organized in their growth, form strong contacts with their neighbors and stop growing when they repair the area on injury due to contact inhibition with other cells. Cancer cells are more easily detached and do not exhibit contact inhibition of their growth. Cancer cells become independent of normal tissue signaling growth control mechanisms.
In a sense cancer cells become desynchronized from the rest of the body due to the fact that they possess different electrical and chemical properties than normal cells (Steve Haltiwanger, 2008).
In Haltiwanger’s opinion the reestablishment of healthy cell membrane potentials and electrical connections assist in the restoration of healthy metabolism.
The liquid crystal components of cells and the extra cellular matrix of the body possess many of the features of electronic circuits like conductors, semiconductors, resistors, transistors, capacitors, inductor coils, transducers, switches, generators and batteries.
Since cancer cells have different electrical and metabolic properties due to abnormalities in structures outside of the nucleus, therapies that address these electrical abnormalities are essential part of an effective cancer treatment.
The cells of the body are composed of matter. Matter itself is composed of atoms, which are mixtures of negatively charged electrons, positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons.
Cellular electric properties and electromagnetic fields (EMF’s)
It has been demonstrated that there are multiple structures in cells that act as electronic components and that biological tissues and components of biological tissues can receive, transduce and transmit electric, acoustic, magnetic, mechanical and thermal vibrations, this helps explain such phenomena as:
In order to understand how weak EMF's have biological effects it is important to understand certain concepts that:
More details about the electrical roles of membranes and mitochondria
Electricity in the body comes from the food that we eat and the air that we breathe (Brown, 1999).
Cells derive their energy from enzyme catalyzed chemical reactions, which involves the oxidation of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Cells can produce energy by oxygen-dependent aerobic enzyme pathways and by less efficient fermentation pathways.
The specialized proteins and enzymes involved in oxidative phosphorylation are located on the inner mitochondrial membrane and form a molecular respiratory chain or wire. This molecular wire (electron transport chain) passes electrons donated by several important electron donors through a series of intermediate compounds to molecular oxygen, which becomes reduced to water. In the process ADP is converted into ATP.
When the electron donors of the respiratory chain NADH and FADH2 release their electrons hydrogen ions are also released. These positively charged hydrogen ions are pumped out of the mitochondrial matrix across the inner mitochondrial membrane creating an electrochemical gradient. At the last stage of the respiratory chain these hydrogen ions are allowed to flow back across the inner mitochondrial membrane and they drive a molecular motor called ATP synthase in the creation of ATP like water drives a water wheel (Stipanuk, 2000).
This normal energy production process utilizing electron transport and hydrogen ion gradients across the mitochondrial membrane is disrupted when cells become cancerous.
What structures are involved in cancerous transformation?
Many current cancer researchers believe that cancerous transformation arises due to changes in the genetic code. However more seems to be going on than genetic abnormalities alone. A series of papers written by Ilmensee, Mintz and Hoppe in the 1970-1980’s showed that replacing the fertilized nucleus of a mouse ovum by the nucleus of a teratocarcinoma did not create a mouse with cancer. Instead the mice when born were cancer free (Seeger and Wolz, 1990). These studies suggest the theory that abnormalities in other cell structures outside of the nucleus such as the cell membrane and the mitochondria and functional disturbances in cellular energy production and cell membrane potential are also involved in cancerous transformation.
Data to support this theory:
As far back as 1938 Dr. Paul Gerhardt Seeger originated the idea that destruction or inactivation of enzymes, like cytochrome oxidase, in the respiratory chain of the mitochondria was involved in the development of cancer. Seeger indicated in his publications that the initiation of malignant degeneration was due to alterations not to the nucleus, but to cytoplasmic organelles (Seeger and Wolz,1990).
Mitochondrial dysfunction and changes in cytochrome oxidase have also been reported by other cancer researchers (Sharp et al., 1992; Modica-Napolitano et al.,2001)
Seeger’s findings after over 50 years of cancer research are: that cells become more electronegative in the course of cancerization, that membrane degeneration occurs in the initial phase of carcinogenesis first in the external cell membrane and then in the inner mitochondrial membrane, that the degenerative changes in the surface membrane causes these membranes to become more permeable to water-soluble substances so that potassium, magnesium, calcium migrate from the cells and sodium and water accumulate in the cell interior, that the degenerative changes in the inner membrane of the mitochondria causes loss of anchorage of critical mitochondrial enzymes, and that the mitochondria in cancer cells degenerate and are reduced in number (Seeger and Wolz, 1990).
Numerous toxins have been identified that are capable of causing cancerous transformation. Many toxins not only cause genetic abnormalities, but also affect the structure and function of the cell membrane and the mitochondria. Toxic compounds that disrupt the electrical potential of cell membranes and the structure of mitochondrial membranes will deactivate the electron transport chain and disturb oxygen-dependent energy production. Cells will then revert to fermentation, which is a less efficient primeval form of energy production. According to Seeger the conversion to glycolysis secondary to the deactivation of the electron transport chain has a profound effect on the proliferation of tumor cells.
Seeger believes that the virulence of cancer cells is inversely proportional to the activity of the respiratory chain. Conversion to glycolysis as a primary mechanism for energy production results in excessive accumulation of organic acids and pH alterations in cancerous tissues (Seeger and Wolz, 1990).
The body is an electrical machine and the matrix of cells that compose the body possess electrical properties.
Among the electrical properties that cells manifest are the ability to conduct electricity, create electrical fields and function as electrical generators and batteries.
In electrical equipment the electrical charge carriers are electrons. In the body electricity is carried by a number of mobile charge carriers as well as electrons. Although many authorities would argue that electricity in the body is only carried by charged ions, Robert O. Becker and others have shown that electron semiconduction also takes place in biological polymers (Becker and Selden, 1985;Becker, 1990).
The major charge carriers of biological organisms are negatively charged electrons, positively charged hydrogen protons, positively charged sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium ions and negatively charged anions particularly phosphate ions. The work of Mae Wan Ho and Fritz Popp indicate that cells and tissues also conduct and are linked by electromagnetic phonons and photons (Ho, 1996).
The body uses the exterior cell membrane and positively charged mineral ions that are maintained in different concentrations on each side of the cell membrane to create a cell membrane potential (a voltage difference across the membrane) and a strong electrical field around the cell membrane. This electrical field is a readily available source of energy for a significant number of cellular activities including membrane transport, and the generation of electrical impulses in the brain, nerves, heart and muscles (Brown, 1999).
The storage of electrical charge in the membrane and the generation of an electrical field create a battery function so that the liquid crystal semi conducting cytoskeletal proteins can in a sense plug into this field and power up cell structures such as genetic material. The voltage potential across the membrane creates a surprisingly powerful electric field that is 10,000,000 volts/meter according to Reilly and up to 20,000,000 volts/meter according to Brown (Reilly, 1998; Brown, 1999).
The body uses the mitochondrial membrane and positively charged hydrogen ions to create a strong membrane potential across the mitochondrial membrane. Hydrogen ions are maintained in a high concentration of the outside of the mitochondrial membrane by the action of the electron transport chain, which creates a mitochondrial membrane potential of about 40,000,000 volts/meter. When this proton electricity flows back across the inner mitochondrial membrane it is used to power a molecular motor called ATP syntase, which loads negatively charged phosphate anions onto ADP thus creating ATP (Brown, 1999).
ADP, ATP and other molecules that are phosphate carriers are electrochemical molecules that exchange phosphate charges between other cellular molecules. According to Brown, “The flow of phosphate charge is not used to produce large scale electrical gradients, as in conventional electricity, but rather more local electrical field within molecules (Brown, 1999).” The body uses phosphate electricity to activate and deactivate enzymes in the body by charge transfer, which causes these enzymes to switch back and forth between different conformational states. So in a sense enzymes and other types of proteins such as cytoskeletal proteins may function as electrical switches.
The liquid crystal proteins that compose the cytoskeleton support, stabilize and connect the liquid crystal components of the cell membrane with other cell organelles. The cytoskeletal proteins have multiple roles.
The proteins that compose the cytoskeleton serve as mechanical scaffolds that organize enzymes and water, and anchor the cell to structures in the extra cellular matrix via linkages through the cell membrane (Wolfe, 1993). According to Wolfe, “Cytoskeletal frameworks also reinforce the plasma membrane and fix the positions of junctions, receptors and connections to the extra cellular matrix(Wolfe, 1993).”
Self-assembling cytoskeletal proteins are dynamic network structures that create a fully integrated electronic and probably fiber optic continuum that links and integrates the proteins of the extra cellular matrix with the cell organelles (Haltiwanger, 1998; Oschman, 2000).
Cytokeletal proteins also structurally and electronically link the cell membrane with cell organelles.
Cytoskeletal proteins are altered in cancer cells. Alterations include: reversion to arrangements typical of embryonic cells, and breakage of contact and connections with ECM and neighboring cells. It is my opinion that change of connections of the cytoskeletal proteins with ECM components and the cell membrane will disrupt the flow of inward current into the cell, affect genetic activity and is an important factor in disabling oxygen-dependent energy production.
Cells can obtain energy from food either by fermentation or oxygen-mediated cellular respiration. Both methods start with the process of glycolysis, which is the splitting of glucose (6 carbon) into two molecules of pyruvate (3 carbon).
Most biologists believe that glycolysis, the oldest metabolic way to produce ATP, has been conserved in all living organisms. Glycolysis happens in the cytoplasm and does not require oxygen in order to produce ATP, but it is also a much less efficient method than aerobic respiration.
The enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase occupies a pivotal role in determining whether energy is extracted from glucose by aerobic or anaerobic methods (Garnett, 1998). This enzyme exists in an altered form in cancer cells (Garnett, 1998).
Over all membrane changes, mitochondrial dysfunction, loss of normal cellular electronic connections and enzyme changes are all factors that contribute to the permanent reliance of cancer cells on glycolysis for energy production.
Electronic roles of the cell membrane and the electrical charge of cell surface coats: Cell membrane potential
All cells possess an electrical potential (a membrane potential) that exists across the cell membrane. Why is this so?
Cell membranes are composed of a bilayer of highly mobile lipid molecules that electrically act as an insulator (dielectric). The insulating properties of the cell membrane lipids also act to restrict the movement of charged ions and electrons across the membrane except through specialized membrane spanning protein ion channels (Aidley and Stanfield, 1996) and membrane spanning protein semiconductors (Oschman, 2000) respectively.
Because the cell membrane is selectively permeable to sodium and potassium ions a different concentration of these and other charged mineral ions will build up on either side of the membrane. The different concentrations of these charged molecules cause the outer membrane surface to have a relatively higher positive charge than the inner membrane surface and creates an electrical potential across the membrane (Charman, 1996).
All cells have an imbalance in electrical charges between the inside of the cell and the outside of the cell. The difference is known as the membrane potential.
Because the membrane potential is created by the difference in the concentration of ions inside and outside the cell this creates an electrochemical force across the cell membrane, these forces across the membrane regulate chemical exchange across the cell (Reilly, 1998).
”The cell membrane potential helps control cell membrane permeability to a variety of nutrients and helps turn on the machinery of the cell particularly energy production and the synthesis of macromolecules.
All healthy living cells have a membrane potential of about -60 to –100mV. The negative sign of the membrane potential indicates that the inside surface of the cell membrane is relatively more negative than the than the immediate exterior surface of the cell membrane (Cure, 1991). In a healthy cell the inside surface of the cell membrane is slightly negative relative to its external cell membrane surface (Reilly, 1998).
When one considers the transmembrane potential of a healthy cell the electric field across the cell membrane is enormous being up to 10,000,000 to 20,000,000 volts/meter (Reilly, 1998; Brown, 1999).
Healthy cells maintain, inside of themselves, a high concentration of potassium and a low concentration of sodium. But when cells are injured or cancerous sodium and water flows in to the cells and potassium, magnesium, calcium and zinc are lost from the cell interior and the cell membrane potential falls (Cone, 1970, 1975, 1985; Cope, 1978).
Trying to describe what factors are primary and result in other changes is like arguing over whether the chicken came before the egg or vice versa. What is known is that in cancer changes in cell membrane structure, changes in membrane function, changes in cell concentrations of minerals, changes in cell membrane potential, changes in the electrical connections within the cells and between cells, and changes in cellular energy production all occur.
Cells actually have a number of discrete electrical zones.
According to Charman a cell contains four electrified zones (Charman, 1996).
The central zone contains negatively charged organic molecules and maintains a steady bulk negativity.
An inner positive zone exists between the inner aspect of the cell membrane and the central negative zone. The inner positive zone is composed of a thin layer of freely mobile mineral captions particularly potassium and according to Hans Nieper (Nieper, 1985) a small amount of calcium as well.
The outer positive zone exists around the outer surface of the cell membrane and consists of a denser zone of mobile captions composed mostly of sodium, calcium and a small amount of potassium.
Because the concentration of positive charges is larger on the outer surface of the cell membrane than the concentration of positive charges on the inner surface of the cell membrane an electrical potential exists across the cell membrane.
You might ask at this point the question, how can the surface of cells be electrically negative if a shell of positively charged mineral ions surrounds the exterior surface of the cell membrane?
The answer lies in the existence of an outer electrically negative zone composed of the glycocalyx.
The outermost electrically negative zoneis composed of negatively charged sialic acid molecules that cap the tips of glycoproteins and glycolipids that extend outward from the cell membrane like tree branches. The outermost negative zone is separated from the positive cell membrane surface by a distance of about 20 micrometers. According to Charman, “It is this outermost calyx zone of steady negativity that makes each cell act as a negatively charged body; every cell creates a negatively charged field around itself that influences any other charged body close to it (Charman, 1996).”
It is the negatively charged sialic acid residues of the cell coat (glycocalyx) that gives each cell its zeta potential. Since the negatively charged electric field around cells are created by sialic acid residues, any factor that increases or decreases the number of sialic acid residues will change the degree of surface negativity a cell exhibits.
Cancer cells have significantly more sialic acid molecules in their cell coat and as a result cancer cells have a greater surface negativity.
One of reasons that enzyme therapy is beneficial in cancer is because certain enzymes can remove sialic acid residues from cancer cells reducing their surface negativity making them recognizable and vulnerable to immune system defense mechanisms.