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Abud Bakri MD Profile picture
@AbudBakri
Aug 9, 2023 • 27 tweets • 11 min read • Read on X
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I have been seeing a LOT of CANCER in younger and younger patients 🦀

Some even in their early 30s 😪

And I’m not the only one noticing it 👀

Here’s what I think is causing a dramatic rise in YOUNG cancer cases 👇🧵 Image
Disclaimer first: I’m a doctor but I’m not YOUR doctor. None of this is medical advice

I also am not a oncologist. This is just what I’ve been noticing in my young career and connections I’ve made

If I knew the absolute answer, I’d win a noble prize

There will be other… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
I’m not the only one noticing it 👀

The rates are going up in younger people

They are calling it the Birth Cohort Effect 👶

Each successive decade has a higher risk of developing cancer

People born 1970s have higher risk than 1960s have a higher risk than 1950s and so on… Image
Chadwick Boseman is the example most people remember

Young, fit, successful 🐆

Colon cancer at age 39

Dead by 43

What happening? ⬇️ Image
Immune Escape Phenomena

I view cancer primarily through the lens of immune escape

Everyday there are mistake and damage in cellular replication

These cells become prone to becoming cancerous

Our immune systems hunt them out and DESTROYS them Image
Something (or many things) is getting in the way of this

And as a result, more cancer evades the immune system and starts to grow

So what’s affecting the immune system? ⬇️ Image
1. Circadian Dysfunction 🔁

Every single cell in our body is tied to a 24 hour clock

This includes the immune cells

Thanks to artificial lights at night, poor sleep schedules, not enough bright light in the day etc

If we want our immune systems at peak shape, we need to… https://t.co/ZCjuaxHdIHtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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2. Poor Sleep 😴

Building on circadian biology, poor sleep is wrecking HAVOC on the immune system

Sleep is when the immune cells can ‘clean up’ damaged/cancer prone cells

Several studies have found link between sleep deprivation and increased cancer risk Image
Remember the ‘sleep hormone’ melatonin?

It is intimately involved with immune regulation

Scrolling TikTok with blue light at night?

This lowers your melatonin production

Another chance to negatively influence the immune system that's hunting cancer

(I don’t believe… https://t.co/LgBWG0hcfXtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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3. Vitamin D ☀️

Building on sleep and circadian rhythms, low vitamin D levels are associated with increased risk of cancer

Vitamin D has a key immune role

Supplementing vitamin D does not seem to improve this

We need sunlight for:

1. Normal circadian health
2. Good sleep
3.… https://t.co/WKLklT3Opytwitter.com/i/web/status/1…

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4. Obesity 🍔

We all know obesity is linked to an increase risk of cancer

Fat cells, especially visceral fat release inflammatory cytokines

This may contribute to further immune dysregulation and allow cancer to escape

Obesity is chronic inflammatory state
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5. Fatty Livers (NAFLD)

The liver is a key metabolic and immune regulator

Fatty liver disease is sky rocketing allowing with obesity

This is a risk for cancer in the liver AND outside of it

NAFLD is on track to become the primary reason for liver transplants
Image
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6. Poor Nutrition 🍎

All of our cells rely on the nutrients we provide to function properly

I’d argue this is more important for immune cells as they rapidly divide Image
7. Microbiome 🦠

This one is more nebulous, but we are starting to notice a connection between the bacteria that live inside of us and cancer

These bacteria have a crucial immune regulatory role

Keep an eye on this developing field as new research emerges Image
8. Chronic High Stress 😖

We all known mental health at a population level is in the gutter

People are more stressed out than ever, especially during the pandemic

I and many residents got sick with a cold more often while stressed out on long 28 hour shifts

Your immune… https://t.co/6F6Kz4elpttwitter.com/i/web/status/1…

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All the above and more are wrecking havoc on our immune function

Alone none of them can cause cancer

Combined, we are having low grade immune suppression which is allowing cancer to escape

This may also be why we are seeing more autoimmune disease by the same mechanism

But… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Cellular Energetics 💥

Aside from immunity, there is a relationship between mitochondrial function and cancer

When I was 17 and taking AP biology in high school, I noticed that the cellular signal for apoptosis (cell death switch) is in the mitochondria Image
Mitochondria release cytochrome c into the cytoplasm and this tells the cell to die

This may be a key mechanism for cells that are becoming cancer prone to off themselves

Since that day 12 years ago I’ve been mesmerized by this
Poor mitochondrial function = increased cancer risk?

Our mitochondria are all affected by the above things, whether it be the circadian rhythm or obesity.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a link here to cancer Image
For over 100 years we’ve known that cancer metabolism is different than regular cells

Noble Prize Winner Otto Warburg noticed and coined the so called “Warburg effect”

For the last 50 years cancer research has been focused on molecular biology and genetics

We need to look… https://t.co/XJqI1H3EqYtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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Environmental Toxins? 🚬

We know that environmental toxins can lead to cancer, such as smoking for lung cancer

There are a number of toxins people are worried about, including phthalates, nnEMF, radiation, industrial waste products etc

The jury is still out on these and more… https://t.co/VwnDzfmKJltwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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Are there other environmental toxins we are missing? Probably

Are there microbiome effects? Probably

But I would argue if we had adequate immune function, our bodies could hunt out the cells damaged by whatever we are exposed to in the environment

Immunity is key here
Delayed Cancer Screening 🩻

During the pandemic, many people did not see their primary care doctors. That’s tons of missed colonoscopies, mammograms and basic screening labs

Catching cancer at stage 1 is a simple surgery or radiation treatment with success rate

Stage 4? Good… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Next thread? How I approach screening for cancer in myself, my family, and my patients.

Follow ➕along for that one

Should you get a full body MRI? Genetic testing? Liquid biopsy?

More to come Image
If you found this useful, please bookmark and SHARE the first tweet in this thread 👇

Helps a ton

And let me know what questions you have
And while you’re here check out my last thread 👇

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More from @AbudBakri

Abud Bakri MD Profile picture
Mar 12
The Truth about BPC-157: Why it isn’t FDA Approved and Why It Will Never Be

BPC-157 is one of the hottest compounds on the market right now with many people, especially in the bodybuilding and functional medicine space swearing by its beneficial effects for gut health and joint healing, among a whole host of other proposed possible benefits.

It is not however, a FDA approved pharmaceutical. Clinicians are prescribing it through compounding pharmacies without a clear, approved indication and people are buying it as a “research chemical” for “not human consumption” online.  After ending up on the FDA “do not compound” list in late 2023, sources of injectable BPC have become scarce.  Some have relabeled it as Pentadecapeptide Aringate or PDA (changing the acetate to an arginate) and are prescribing it for subcutaneous administration that way, while the confusion about its status has led to a vibrant oral capsule market for BPC in what appears to be a grey area of legality.  (did the FDA accidentally make this into an OTC supplement by adding it to the do not compound list?)

So if it's so effective, why is it not approved by the FDA for human use? Is there some sort of conspiracy against “good” medicines that have potential to “heal” by big pharma? Are they worried it may cut into the profits of their other drugs, such as NSAIDs, PPIs, and biologics?

While those who stand to profit from BPC-157 sales on the internet would have you believe that, the answer is no.

As far as I can tell in my deep inquiry there is no global conspiracy against BPC-157. There are, however, simple economics of drug development processes that make it so BPC-157 likely will never go through the full process of drug approval because of financial incentives.

I would even venture to believe that a pharmaceutical company like Merck would LOVE to have the exclusive rights to BPC-157. However, because of the patents being filed and the way patents work on small peptides, pushing BPC through the entire FDA product, which would cost millions of dollars, is not going to happen.

Let’s look at how we got here:

BPC-157 is not new.  Croatian researchers isolated the full, larger peptide BPC in 1998 from gastric juices and found the 15 amino acid sequence, BPC-157 to be the active part responsible for its clinical effects (the story of how it was discovered is fascinating, but that is a conversation for a different day if there is enough interest, let me know below). The first human safety study on health volunteers was conducted in 2002 and a “phase 2” double blind, randomized clinical trial (small and not sufficient for US phase 2 purposes) was conducted in 2005 with BPC-157 enemas for ulcerative colitis, with some promising effects (see research name PL 14736 to find the references).  Yes, there were human studies with BPC-157 showing no known adverse effects and safety, however since those two initial trials it appears almost all the data has been in animal models, with a few, small studies here and there for human use.

If only 10% of the animal data on BPC-157 ends up being valid and applicable to humans, this is a blockbuster drug/compound that has great potential for human use.  But this also may be part of the problem of pushing BPC through regulatory constraints (yes BPC-57 is suffering from success).

To get a drug FDA approved, a company must conduct phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials proving safety and efficacy of the compound through a laborious, multi year and extremely costly process.  We’re talking a decade or more and hundreds of millions of dollars.  The drug needs to be proven to work for a specific disease indication to get approval, while BPCs effects seem to be pleiotropic and the research cannot seem to focus on one, singular disease case to focus on.

Diagen is the company that currently owns the BPC-157 US patent (the European patent is expired), which was filed in 2012, approved in 2017 with an expected expiration of 2033.  These are all the conditions listed in the patent:

Conditions and Disorders:
1.    Stress-Related Diseases & Disorders
2.    Gastrointestinal Conditions
•    Ulcers in any part of the gastrointestinal tract
•    General anti-inflammatory activity
•    Gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases
•    Crohn’s disease
•    Acute pancreatitis
3.    Organoprotective Needs
•    Diseases, conditions, or disorders requiring organoprotective activity
4.    Viral Infections
•    Hepatitis A
•    Herpes strains
•    Influenza A
•    Arthropod-borne (ARBO) viruses, including:
•    Tick-borne encephalitis
•    West Nile fever
•    Dengue (types 1-4)
•    Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
•    Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus
•    Feline leukemia virus
5.    Oncology & Tumors
•    Melanoma and related tumors
6.    Tissue & Wound Healing
•    Accelerated healing of wounds, burns, and bone fractures
•    Regeneration of ruptured nerve linkages
•    Achilles tendon and muscle repair
•    Spinal cord injury recovery
7.    Nitric Oxide (NO)-Related Disorders
•    Hypertension
•    Hypotension
•    Anaphylaxis
•    Circulatory and septic shock
•    Thrombocyte aggregation
8.    Neurological & Autoimmune Disorders
•    Multiple sclerosis
•    Myasthenia gravis
•    Lupus erythematosus
•    Neuropathy
•    Somatosensory nerve dysfunction
•    Asthma
•    Rhinitis
•    Pemphigus
•    Eczema
9.    Neurochemical & Substance-Related Disorders
•    Catecholaminergic dysfunction
•    Schizophrenia
•    Withdrawal effects from amphetamines, drugs, and alcohol
10.    Corticosteroid & NSAID-Related Disorders
11.    Ophthalmological Conditions
•    Squamous degeneration of the macula
12.    Vascular & Circulatory Needs
•    Conditions requiring rapid reorganization of blood supply
13.    Animal Health & Reproductive Enhancement
•    Weight gain in animals
•    Increased sperm stability in storage (in animals)
14.    Liver & Pancreatic Conditions
•    Hepatic and pancreatic lesions

While this list seems impressive, BPC-157 would have a much easier time coming to market if one disease state was focused on and pushed through the regulatory process. Then, more off label uses could be found.

So why isn’t Diagen pushing this amazing molecule through regulation if its so effective? Are they cash strapped? It appears so, as they are actually trying to sell the BPC patent.

So then why doesn’t another big pharmaceutical company swoop in, buy the patent, and use their exhaustive funds to get BPC FDA approved, then make billions of dollars selling the drug to an already interested market. Because big pharma is evil? Not really.

If BPC-157 was purchased today, the patent would likely expire in 2033 before the phase 1-2-3 trials would be completed, at which point all the generic manufacturers would be able to push the product on the back of all the hard work a pharmaceutical company can do (I’m not sure if FDA approval would push the expiration of the patent back, but even then it would not be so financial lucrative).

On top of this, the market is already flush with BPC-157.  Why would a company work so hard for this drug when people are getting it cheaply through compounded and grey/black market sources. Diagen seems unable to go after and sue all these people despite owning the patent, while Eli Lily with their deep pockets is going after GLP-1 compounders.

To complicate things further, over the last few years, several patents have come up for different use cases and applications of BPC-157.  Because of the way patents for small peptides work, anyone can make a small change to a molecule, adding one amino acid here or there and now have a competing product that would not fall under the patent.  For example,  N-acetylated versions of BPC-157 will likely be pushed through for patent soon.  Why would anyone spend a decade and hundreds of millions of dollars when tomorrow someone will make a small change to it and have their own product?

To get it FDA approved would require someone who so believes in the effects of BPC-157 to cough up a nice chunk of cash and support the research for its potential (I’m still bullish) restorative effects.  To get it approved, you would need to:

1. Buy the patent (its for sale)
2. Figure out a specific disease indication to apply for BPC-157 approval
3. Hire a research team to run phase 1, 2, 3 trials

The financial incentives make it so that BPC-157 will likely never go through the full FDA approval process, which is a shame given how promising this compound is.

It is also a shame given the risk calculations in my mind for these small, short chain peptides is far different than a traditional pharmaceutical drug, given this is, in some ways, replacing/replenishing an endogenous gastric peptide that appears to decrease with age/stress.  Given the human trials in early 2000’s showed no adverse events, despite using enormous doses, and the animal data corroborating this, many practitioners feel comfortable prescribing/recommending BPC-157 (I am not making such a recommendation).

The best hope for BPC is that this new regulatory environment allows for oral versions of the peptide to continue as OTC supplements (no GRAS indication has been given) while injectable forms are prescribed with modifications through compounding pharmacies as PDA or N-acetyl-BPC-157.  And if we are lucky, someone with deep pockets will experience beneficial effects of this drug and decide to fund these studies themselves for the betterment of humanity.

This could easily go south if new safety concerns were brought forward for oral/injectable forms or impurities in the production by those who are seeking to profiteer off of this compound lead to adverse events.  The large telehealth and compounding companies could fund this research to help people become more comfortable with using this compound.

If you’re interested, you can buy the BPC-157 patent here, before it expires early next decade. bpc157.si/bpc-157-stable…

In summary:
- BPC-157 is a promising compound for different cytoprotective uses
- It is not FDA approved for human use
- There is not some shadow cabal blocking the use of BPC-157
- Financial incentives make it so that BPC-157 is challenging to push through the regulatory process
- It will likely never receive FDA approval, but will be available in some form as oral supplement or through compounding pharmacies, with some modification

This is not medical advice.  I am not suggesting you use BPC-157. It is not a FDA approved as a drug and the safety profile is still not clear.  Discuss this with your doctor, with the hope that your doctor is aware of what BPC-157 is or find a doctor that is comfortable with this compound.Image
Slightly longer version with sources hyperlinked available on my blog Image
TLDR:
- BPC-157 is a promising compound for different cytoprotective uses
- It is not FDA approved for human use
- There is not some shadow cabal blocking the use of BPC-157
- Financial incentives make it so that BPC-157 is challenging to push through the regulatory process
- It will likely never receive FDA approval, but will be available in some form as oral supplement or through compounding pharmacies, with some modification, with unclear risks
Read 5 tweets
Abud Bakri MD Profile picture
Feb 19
Progress isn’t always good

We replaced incandescent lights with LEDs for “energy efficient”

But we deprived ourselves, and especially our eyes, of the energy needed to recharge our mitochondria everyday: infrared lights

Sometimes we have to step back to move forward Image
Incandescents have a lot of red and bleed into infrared spectrum, that’s why they give off heat

LEDs are rich in blue and other short wave lengths and poor in red/infrared

Red and blue must be balanced for health

Daylight is ideal Image
Natural we never get blue without a lot of red and infrared

From the moment the sunrises you get infrared and visible light in the perfect combination

This is an emerging field and the research is changing the entire game Image
Read 5 tweets
Abud Bakri MD Profile picture
Aug 9, 2024
TESTOSTERONE and XY chromosomes are NOT enough to make someone a "normal" man

You need:

- XY chromosomes
- SRY gene
- sensitive androgen receptors
- functioning LH receptors
- 5 alpha reductase
- normal aromatase
- 17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase III
+ more

Anything missing can lead to DSD (differences in sex development)

Let’s examine the step by step process and what happens when things go off course 👇🧵Image
Image
disclaimer: this is not a commentary on who is or isn't a man

This is just a step by step journey of all the things that need to go right for "normal" masculine development, from conception to birth to puberty

the concept of intersex is complex, and researching this blew my mind

DSD, sometimes referred to as intersex is often distinctly different than transgender

ok lets begin 👇
Step 1:

XY chromosomes

there are 23 pairs of chromosomes

The last pair are the sex chromosomes

Females are XX

Males are XY

Simple, right?

I wish… Image
Read 23 tweets
Abud Bakri MD Profile picture
Dec 18, 2023
The FDA dropped the hammer on peptides a few weeks ago 💉

But they left 𝒐𝒏𝒆 peptide off the kill list 🧪

And it happens to be the peptide I’m most excited about 👨‍🔬

It’s about to be ̶G̶o̶l̶d̶ COPPER Rush 🥉

This is the ULTIMATE thread on GHK - Copper peptide 👇 Image
Disclaimer ⚠️

As always, this isn’t medical advice

I’m not your doctor. This is just a summary of my research and experience

And I don’t benefit financially from any of the copper peptides listed here

Proceed at your own risk

Let’s dive in
What are peptides? 🧪

Peptides are chains of amino acids that signal cells in your body to change or alter their behavior

We all have thousands of peptides inside of us

None of this is exotic
Read 25 tweets
Abud Bakri MD Profile picture
Dec 6, 2023
Gene therapy i̶s̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶i̶n̶g̶ is here 🧬

The first genetically modified humans are already walking among us

Building more muscle, losing fat, and de-aging 💪

For $25,000, you too can get gene therapy 💉

What's the catch?

This is the ultimate gene therapy thread 🧵👇
Image
Before we dive in, the usual:

This is not medical advice

I am not affiliated with these gene therapy people

Learning about it just like you guys are

They make lofty claims, we will see if their claims hold true

All I know is this is exciting!
𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃:

Ever since we discovered that DNA is responsible for all our proteins/processes and its a 4 letter CODE, one thing was clear:

We could edit our DNA and influence our biology

This has been the goal for decades. Now it's becoming a reality Image
Read 27 tweets
Abud Bakri MD Profile picture
Oct 19, 2023
This is the thread 🧵 I never thought I’d have to write

But with so many people cheering on for WW3 and our politicians treating human blood so cheaply

☢️HOW TO SURIVE NUCLEAR FALLOUT ☢️

(You’re going to want to bookmark 🔖 and PRINT 🖨️ this out in case the internet goes away)👇
Image
Disclaimer: I'm not a nuclear expert. Just a doctor doing research.

Went through all the FEMA, WHO, US Gov and research papers to see what the guidelines are and what was tried in the past

This is what I'm going to do to try and save my family

General information. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE

Nuclear war is terrible and I pray we never have to see this
We will go over:

- Initial Impact
- What do do during
- Nuclear fallout
- Acute Radiation Illness ☢️
- Health preparations during and after
- Basic health survival during any disaster
- Medications 💊
Read 22 tweets

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