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phospholipids and immunology

anciendaze

Senior Member
Messages
1,841
Medical Xpress has an article on new research connecting immune response to phospholipids and T-cells, which were not previously considered active in autoimmune disease. We have generally been looking for antibodies to proteins, but ignored lipids. Likewise we have concentrated on B-cells, ignoring a role for T-cells and dendritic cells, as if immune systems were only collections of disparate parts, not systems. The resulting therapeutic interventions are less than satisfactory.

As this says, phospholipids make up so much of cell membranes that they account for half the dry weight of the cell. That is a lot of biological material to ignore, and cell membranes are well-known to play important roles in both health and disease. It is entirely possible problems dismissed as psychological include such neglected immune responses because nerve cells have very high ratios of surface area to volume, and thus membranes play an especially important role in their operation.

This dismal state of the art is starting to change, but we are still a long way from treatment options. We are likely not even recognizing many autoimmune diseases.
 

HowToEscape?

Senior Member
Messages
626
OK I have a dumb question if anybody out there knows a bit of chemistry: it’s lecithin an appropriate phospholipid?

The methylation protocol described in another section here includes something called NT factor phospholipid, which sounds a little bit like science and a great deal like a Vocalizing duck. Of course NT factor costs about 10 times as much as lecithin, so that means much a bigger marketing budget.
 

Murph

:)
Messages
1,799
This seems really good. If we have a problem with phospholipids, as Naviaux found, and an issue with t cells as Mark Davis found, this theory could be the bridge between them...
 

anciendaze

Senior Member
Messages
1,841
OK I have a dumb question if anybody out there knows a bit of chemistry: it’s lecithin an appropriate phospholipid?

The methylation protocol described in another section here includes something called NT factor phospholipid, which sounds a little bit like science and a great deal like a Vocalizing duck. Of course NT factor costs about 10 times as much as lecithin, so that means much a bigger marketing budget.
The problem described above is a rather complicated immune response to phospholipids involving several types of immune cells, not too much or too little. So I wouldn't claim that either biochemical you mention is a good treatment. I don't know that they won't help in some way we haven't considered, I just don't see any evidence one way or the other. Save your money.