Wow, Peter, that's quite a testamony!!!!! Now I'm beginning to gain understanding as to you and why you have gained such insight. You humble me, brother, since at first I could not understand what you were saying and had stood hard as to how mastocytosis could not be connected to other things. I still sting with shame when I remember our encounter! I'm so glad that you have forgiven my ignorance and been gracious with me!! I stand in awe of you!!!
For those who may be having a bit of trouble following Peter and what he is trying to say, this is an article which may help you gain insight.
Peter has been saying for several years now, prior to recent research that has been seriously indicating that mast cell disorders may be the underlying connection with various diseases which heretofore were believed to be totally disconnected to one another. It took me TIME and suspicions regarding my own case and that of my family to force me to take a larger look at MC research, going beyond that of mere mastocytosis to that of looking at diseases on a genetic/cellular basis. Peter had formulate these very theories without having that benefit which I had. Hats off to you, Peter, for having such a large vision of this!!!
Lisa
Bone Marrow Transplant. 1990 Sep;6(3):155-61.
The graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) phenomenon: is GVL separable from GVHD?
Slavin S, Ackerstein A, Naparstek E, Or R, Weiss L.
Source
Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cancer Immunobiology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
Abstract
Graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) is a major component of the overall beneficial effects of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in the treatment of leukemia. Although several clinical trials have suggested a direct relationship between GVL effects and acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), it is not yet known whether GVL can be separated from GVHD. However, several investigations in murine models of human leukemia indicate that the two may be at least partially separable. Moreover, analysis of clinical data from the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry suggest that allogeneic BMT may be more advantageous than syngeneic BMT, regardless of the GVHD. Likewise, T lymphocyte depletion is associated with an increased incidence of relapse, independently of GVHD. Recent investigations in murine leukemia suggest that GVL-like effects may be inducible following syngeneic BMT by recombinant cytokines with no overt GVHD. Taken together, current data in experimental animals and man suggest that GVL may be at least partially separable from GVHD. Hence, further understanding of effector and target cells of GVL as well as our ability to induce antitumor effector cells, especially those that are MHC nonrestricted, may lead to new approaches for potentiating anti-tumor effector mechanisms without inducing severe, clinically overt GVHD. Successful attempts in these directions may also lead to improved results following autologous BMT as a result of activation of GVL-like effects by recombinant cytokines that are capable of activating effector cells with anti-leukemic activity in vivo, such as recombinant human IL2, alpha interferon or perhaps a synergistic combination of factors.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2252954