Transfer Factors What Are Transfer Factors? I first heard about transfer factors during an immunology lecture in medical school. Since not much was known about them at the time, we quickly moved on to more compelling topics, like antibodies, interferons, and opsonins (oh, my!). In the years since I graduated, scientists have learned more about transfer factors, but theyre still at the far edge of most physicians radar screens. The pharmaceutical industry was interested in transfer factors early on, but more profitable markets distracted them from further investigation. (Antibiotics were just coming into vogue when transfer factors were discovered). For better or worse, much of the research surrounding transfer factors has been conducted piecemeal in independent laboratories around the world. So, just what do we know about these fascinating molecules? Transfer factors are small immune messenger molecules that are produced by lymphocytes (white blood cells). Transfer factors are found in all higher animals, including mammals, reptiles, fish, and birds. To date, these molecules have been isolated from lymphocytes, egg yolk, and mammalian colostrum (“first mother’s milk”). Structurally, transfer factors contain elements that are found in proteins and genetic material. If youre fond of terminology, researchers use the word oligoribonucleopeptide to characterize a transfer factors basic structure. Transfer factors were discovered in 1949 by Dr. Sherwood Lawrence, a member of the medical faculty at New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Lawrence found that when he injected a filtered extract of white blood cells from people infected with tuberculosis into individuals who had never had the disease, immunity was transferred to the recipients. Since he didnt know which component of the extract was responsible for transferring immunity, Dr. Lawrence simply called it transfer factor. Dr. Lawrence went on to serve as head of infectious diseases and immunology at NYU, became director of the NYU Cancer Center, and oversaw the NYU AIDS Research Center. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and honorary chair of the International Transfer Factor Society, an organization of scientists from around the world who share information about transfer factors and other immune molecules. Research by ITFS scientists and other investigators has revealed that transfer factors can convey immune information from person to person and even between animals and people. Therefore, unlike antibodies, which are only useful to the species that produce them, transfer factors are effective across species lines. How Do Transfer Factors Work? Whenever a lymphocyte recognizes a threat — a virus, bacterium, fungus, parasite, or cancer cell — it starts producing and secreting transfer factors. Like messages in bottles, these transfer factors are cast into your bloodstream, where they are quickly picked up by other immune cells. Your immune cells, which can detect exceedingly small amounts of transfer factors, migrate toward areas where higher concentrations of transfer factors are present. This recruitment process allows a prompt and overwhelming immune response to any perceived threat. However, transfer factors do more than simply lay out a trail of bread crumbs for your immune cells to follow. Since transfer factors participate in macrophage activation, lymphocyte transformation (the maturation of precursor cells to functional B and T cells), and cell-mediated immunity, every aspect of your immune system functions more effectively when transfer factors are present: Transfer Factors Recognize a Threat Transfer factors facilitate your immune systems ability to recognize foreign antigens. In other words, they help your immune system distinguish between your own tissues (self) and foreign substances (non-self). Since there are literally millions of foreign antigens in our environment, your immune cells must produce transfer factors that recognize all of these antigens (i.e., “antigen-specific” transfer factors). It is this antigen specificity that allows transfer factors to mobilize an immune response within 24 to 48 hours of exposure to a foreign antigen. This contrasts with the antibody-based immunity conferred by a vaccine, which sometimes takes weeks to develop. Ironically, the antigen-specific nature of transfer factors thwarted early attempts by pharmaceutical companies to market them to consumers. The industrys philosophy of “one cure for one disease” -- and the need to develop unique molecules that are patentable -- would have necessitated monumental expenditures for research and development, not to mention separate patent applications for multitudes of different antigen-specific transfer factor formulations. Transfer Factors Respond to a Threat Once an antigen is recognized as foreign, transfer factors are instrumental in coordinating the immune response against that antigen. As inducers of natural killer (NK) cells, transfer factors contribute to your innate, or non-specific, immune response. NK cells are attack cells that eliminate infected, malignant, or otherwise abnormal cells before they can pose a significant threat. NK cells respond to any antigen-directed transfer factors in your bloodstream or tissues, so they represent one of your first immune defenses against foreign antigens. Research shows that transfer factors boost NK cell activity nearly five times over baseline levels. Recent studies also show that transfer factors increase IgA levels by nearly 75%. (IgA is the principal antibody found in your mucous membranes, where many infections first get started.) This implies that transfer factors also induce B cells, which are the lymphocytes that produce antibodies. Transfer Factors Remember a Threat Once a foreign antigen has been overwhelmed and eliminated by your immune system, the cells that were involved in the response retain the ability to produce transfer factors targeted toward similar antigens. These cells pass this capability along to their progeny, as well. Thus, should the need arise, your immune system has a “memory” for dealing with that same antigen in the future. Transfer Factors Recognize, Respond, and Remember Researchers have identified several transfer factor fractions that account for their multifaceted effects on your immune response. The first — antigen specificity — expedites a response targeted to a specific threat (say, influenza A). Transfer factors also possess a generalized “inducer” fraction that initiates an immune cascade in response to any foreign antigen. This multi-valent fraction alerts immune cells -- specifically NK cells -- to “not-us” invaders before the antigens are even identified. Therefore, in the presence of transfer factors your immune cells are already mobilizing to address a threat before its specific nature is even known. Finally, transfer factors have the ability to suppress your immune response once a threat has been neutralized. Apparently, even while theyre stimulating certain parts of your immune system to deal with a foreign antigen, transfer factors are mobilizing T-suppressor cells whose primary function is to down-regulate your immune response. This helps prevent runaway inflammation that could damage healthy cells and tissues. In summary, transfer factors are small messenger molecules that help your immune cells recognize a threat, respond to it, and then remember the threat in case it returns. In addition, once the threat has been addressed, transfer factors suppress your hypervigilant immune system to prevent it from damaging your healthy tissues. Where Can I Find Transfer Factors? The 60-year saga of discovery and technological development that brought transfer factors to the global market is fodder for another discussion. Suffice it to say that cow colostrum -- due to its ready availability -- is the primary source of transfer factors. A number of companies offer colostrum products, and many point out that their formulations contain transfer factors. (Interestingly, they didn’t emphasize this point until it became evident that transfer factors, not antibodies, were the beneficial element in colostrum.) While cow colostrum does contain transfer factors, youd have to take a lot of colostrum to get a reasonable dose of transfer factors. Furthermore, cow colostrum contains proteins and antibodies that could trigger allergic reactions and that are of no real use to the human immune system. 4Life Research, a company founded in 1998 in Sandy, Utah, owns the exclusive worldwide patent on the extraction process that concentrates and purifies transfer factors from colostrum. When 4Life’s scientists discovered that egg yolks are another valuable source of transfer factors, they developed technologies that allow transfer factors to be recovered from eggs, as well. 4Life is the only company offering purified transfer factors in dosages that can impact your immune system in a meaningful way. For more information about 4Life Transfer Factors and how it helps you to prevent & reverse illness, please log on to immunecare.webs
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 06:22:29 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015