Of Up Regulating and Down Regulating Receptors

Protein Receptors in a cell

Dr David B Agus MD in his book The End of Illness, described candidly that our body is deemed as a fantastic machine. Our body incorporates total systems to balance input and outputs to our cells. The acidity- alkalic balance in our body is very fine tuned to sustain life.

Likewise our cells also balance its inputs via receptors in the cells. These receptors are protein molecules embedded in each cell. Their function is to facilitates the physical attachments of other proteins or molecules to have the intended effect. Our cells have different receptors for different proteins or molecules.

These receptors up regulate or down regulate its reception nodes, depending on the supply and demands of the particular protein or molecule. For example, if there are excess say Vitamin D in the body, the cell shuts down its Vitamin D receptors and if there are inadequate Vitamin D in the body, the cell opens up more Vitamin D receptors. Wonderful mechanism for check and balance.

I would like to propose some food for thought, (pun intended).  Why does cancer cells have so many receptors for simple sugar and proteins? Cancer patients are often undernourished as in malnutrition and our bodies slowly falls into in a wasted stage. It is in these body environment that our cells, particularly cancer cells up regulate its protein and simple sugars receptors.

We have to eat a well balanced meal and keep our bodies well nourished and balanced so that cancer cells do not up regulate receptors and grow like wild weeds.

Take care.

Allen Lai