Are glyconutrients really good for you?

Glyconutrients and Multiple myeloma

• Situation: I have a 58 year old friend, who is suffering from Multiple Myeloma. Over the last 3 years he has undergone the typical cancer treatments, including radio therapy, chemo therapy, and the stem cell procedure. Soon he is to undergo Thalidomide or Remicade therapy. My mother has become interested in Glyconutrients, particularly those provided by Mannatech (www.mannatech.com). Naturally, some of us in the family, as well as my sick friend are sceptical about the products and their claimed benefits, particularly as Mannatech sells its products through multi-level-marketing. My friend, at the urging of my mother and after talking to others who have used Mannatech?s products, decided to take the glyconutrients. His recommended prescription was Ambratose AO, and Ambrotose complex, Phyt-aloe, Catalyst. This recommendation came from a book provided by Mannatech. Recently hospitalised, he told his doctor about Mannatech. The doctor insisted that glyconutrients would do no good, nor any harm. He has since stopped taking the products. He is only now interested in taking them, if information from unbiased, well respected sources says there are tangible benefits. What I want: I would like, someone with a solid medical background, versed in haematology, to give me detailed information (or directions to information) about the benefits (if any), that glyconutrients have on multiple myeloma sufferers. I would like the answer to be specifically tailored to his condition, Multiple Myeloma and upcoming treatment, Thalidomide or Remicade therapy. Are there documented cases where the products have helped a patient stabilise his condition or even have partial response? Benefits can be in the way of ? Stabilisation of the cancerous process ? Reduction in the negative side effects of cancer treatment ? General increase of quality of life I would like evidence for and against the benefits described. Evidence can include ? Websites describing benefits to cancer/ Multiple Myeloma sufferers produced by reliable and respected sources ? Medical Journal Articles from respected medical journals. ? Any other information available concerning issues which you think are relevant If information which you think is important is only available offline, please provide me with the details on how I should get hold of this information, and the approximate cost of getting it (if any). And last of all, I would like to know what your connection to glyconutrients is, and in particular if you have any connection with Mannatech or other suppliers of glyconutrients. Please contact me if you need any information about my friend?s condition which will help you tailor your response to the situation.

• Answer:

  Hello sebjac, I?m sorry to hear of your friend?s illness, and what he must be going through. Let me start by saying I don?t have any connection whatsoever to Mannatech or any suppliers of glyconutrients or any other supplement, vitamin or pharmaceutical company. ======================= ?Myeloma is a type of cancer that develops from cells in the bone marrow called plasma cells. Bone marrow is the spongy tissue found inside the inner part of our large bones. It is from the bone marrow that our different blood cells are produced. Myeloma can develop wherever there are plasma cells. So it can be anywhere in the bone marrow, including the pelvis, spine and ribcage. As it can be in several places, it is often called multiple myeloma. Plasma cells are part of the immune system. They make proteins called antibodies. These are large protein molecules also called immunoglobulins. The antibodies are made when the body responds to infections. Different antibodies are made to respond to different infections. Antibodies attack and help to kill bacteria and viruses. There are 5 main types of antibody or immunoglobulin ? A, G, E, M and D. In each patient, the myeloma cells produce an abnormal form of one of these types of antibody. You may hear your doctor call the antibody protein, paraprotein or a monoclonal spike.? http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=4751 It sounds like your friend?s doctor is treating your friend per standar procedure, as is recommended by hematologists. Here is a bit of information on Thalidomide and Velcade and MM. Thalidomide and Multiple Myeloma ================================ It seems Thaldomide is looking good for Multiple myeloma patients, especially those who don?t have Chromosome 13 defects. ?The drug thalidomide continues to show promise as a treatment for the resilient blood cancer called multiple myeloma, researchers said Tuesday at the 2000 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting. Their results confirm a smaller study published last fall and lead the way to a large, definitive trial of the drug. In the study conducted at the Arkansas Cancer Research Center, Little Rock, researchers gave thalidomide to 169 patients whose cancer had not responded to chemotherapy or bone marrow transplants. After 18 months, 55 percent of patients were still alive, a result that lead researcher Bart Barlogie, M.D., called "stunning." Patients in a low-risk category, who did not have a specific defect in chromosome 13, showed an even higher 18-month survival rate of 77 percent.? ?Side effects included constipation, weakness, sleepiness, and numbness, but 90 percent of patients tolerated the 400 milligram per day dosage. The study did not directly compare thalidomide to standard treatments, the gold standard for any new cancer therapy. Standard treatments yield a five-year survival rate of 29 percent, a figure that Barlogie is hopeful thalidomide can exceed. "Of all the cancers examined to date with thalidomide, multiple myeloma shows the greatest reported action," said Barlogie. "The question now is: Is it better to use the drug alone or in combination therapy?" Barlogie's research team is studying that question in a clinical trial that has already enrolled 125 patients.? http://www.nci.nih.gov/clinicaltrials/results/thalidomide-comeback0500 ?A treatment called Thal-Dex that combines the once-banned drug thalidomide with the steroid dexamethasone works better than conventional chemotherapy in the treatment of multiple myeloma , according to a new Italian study. Multiple myeloma in an incurable and painful cancer of the bone marrow. Many patients live less than five years after being diagnosed with the disease. Autologous (self-donor) stem cell transplants can help extend patient survival. Chemotherapy is done a few months before stem cell transplant to reduce the number of cancer cells and improve the odds of stem cell transplant success. The new study included 100 multiple myeloma patients who received Thal-Dex before stem cell transplant and 100 patients who received traditional "VAD" chemotherapy before transplant. VAD is a combination of three drugs -- vincristine, adriamycin and dexamethasone. As reported in the July 1 issue of the journal Blood, patients who received Thal-Dex were more likely to have successful transplant results -- 76 percent of the Thal-Dex patients showed at least a partial remission compared with 52 percent of VAD patients. The Thal-Dex patients also showed more reduction in the size of their tumors.? http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=47800 ?Given its broad spectrum of activities, Thal(Talidomide) may be acting against MM(multiple myeloma) in several ways.8 First, Thal may have a direct effect on the MM cell and/or BM stromal cell to inhibit their growth and survival. For example, free radical-mediated oxidative DNA damage may play a role in the teratogenicity of Thal9 and may also have anti-tumor effects. Second, adhesion of MM cells to BM stromal cells both triggers secretion of cytokines that augment MM cell growth and survival10-12 and confers drug resistance13; Thal modulates adhesive interactions14 and, thereby, may alter tumor cell growth, survival, and drug resistance. Third, cytokines secreted into the BM microenvironment by MM and/or BM stromal cells, such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1 , IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- , may augment MM cell growth and survival,12 and Thal may alter their secretion and bioactivity.? http://www.bloodjournal.org/cgi/content/full/96/9/2943 Clotting problems such as DVT can be a problem in patients receiving chemotherapy and thalidomide. ?The occurrence of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, who were randomly assigned to receive identical induction chemotherapy with or without thalidomide, are reported in this study. The 2 study arms were comparable with respect to key myeloma prognostic factors and known risk factors for DVT.? http://www.bloodjournal.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/5/1614 ?We conclude that thalidomide is an active agent in the treatment of patients with advanced myeloma. A prospective trial to confirm these findings is ongoing at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, and includes correlative studies to assess the effect of thalidomide on bone marrow angiogenesis, as well as the expression of VEGF, bFGF, and their receptors. We are also studying patients with newly diagnosed, untreated asymptomatic myeloma with single-agent thalidomide. Moreover, studies of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, and myelofibrosis are being developed.? http://doe.unimo.it/Jo/GIUSEPPE/LG%20Mieloma/TalidomideBibliografia/Rajkumar%202000%20MCP%20(615)-talidomide%20relapsed.pdf http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11740812&dopt=Citation ================ Remicade/Velcade ================ I?m wondering if you mean Velcade(bortezomib) instead of Remicade (infliximab). Remicade is used for ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Velcade, on the other hand is used for cancer patients, including multiple myeloma. http://www.remicade.com/global/index.jsp ?VELCADE® is the first oncology drug marketed and promoted by Millennium. The rapid clinical development of VELCADE ? with FDA approval granted little more than four and a half years after initiation of the first clinical trial ? reflects our intense commitment to novel treatments for cancer patients. To discover and develop such treatments, we focus on understanding key molecular pathways that play crucial roles in underlying disease processes, and on identifying therapeutically significant differences that may exist between people. We apply this approach broadly throughout our R&D program, to develop novel treatments not just for cancer but also for a number of other important diseases.? http://www.mlnm.com/products/velcade/index.asp More information on Velcade http://www.mlnm.com/clinicians/oncology/velcade/index.asp ?VELCADE® (bortezomib) for Injection was approved by the U.S. FDA in 2003 and the European Commission in 2004 for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior therapies and have demonstrated disease progression on the last therapy. Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer, representing approximately one percent of all cancers and two percent of all cancer deaths. VELCADE® works by blocking the proteasome, an enzyme complex found in cells, and interfering with the chemical messengers that control cell growth and regulate cell survival. Inhibition of the proteasome represents a completely new approach to the treatment of multiple myeloma. Clinical results from the Phase III APEX study presented at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting in December have shown that, compared to patients receiving standard chemotherapy, patients treated with VELCADE® experience a significant survival benefit, underscoring that VELCADE® may help slow progression of disease. VELCADE® has been approved in more than 35 countries around the world, including the U.S. A single license was granted to market VELCADE® in the 15 member states of the E.U., plus Norway and Iceland, and it is available in the 10 accession countries. VELCADE® has also received approval in countries in Latin America and Asia Pacific.? http://www.jnj.com/2004AnnualReport/features/pharmaceuticals/ Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Release: New England Journal Of Medicine Publishes Studies Of VELCADE(R) (bortezomib) For Injection In Multiple Myeloma And MLN02 In Ulcerative Colitis (BioSpace) ? CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the publication of results from two clinical trials in this week's New England Journal of Medicine. The first publication reports results from the phase III APEX study which showed VELCADE was superior in survival, time to disease progression, and response rates compared to standard of care, high-dose dexamethasone, in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma (MM). Results from a second study, published in the same issue, detail findings from a randomized phase II trial of the investigational drug MLN02 in patients with ulcerative colitis that demonstrated statistically significant improvements in remission rates in patients compared to placebo, the trial's primary endpoint.? http://www.biospace.com/news_story.cfm?StoryID=20368820&full=1 ========= Mannatech ========= Your mother may not appreciate the information I found on Mannatech. As soon as I began to research this company, I began to have serious doubts. There is no shortage of bad press on Mannatech. While I don?t see any ingredients in their supplements that would harm you, I seriously doubt if they do you any good either. I also understand that people with serious diseases want to have hope, and are willing to try anything. In this case though, Mannatech seems to prey on the hope of seriously ill and those desperate for a cure. Doing a search for the meaning of glyconutrients turns up nothing when using Google Scholar, except for 21 returns that are associated with holistic sites. It is not found on any scientifically reliable websites. It is an invented word. I am not a molcular biologist, but I must say most of the "research" presented on glyconutrients looks mighty suspicious to me. ?Mannatech enjoys a peculiar advantage in Australia. In Canada and the USA, its products can only be presented as dietary supplements to promote health. In Australia, however, the supplements have been approved as "over the counter drugs" by the government's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). This enables distributors to make numerous claims about their medicinal effects - including the reduction of blood lactate levels [4], which may strike an especial chord with Australian CFS/FM doctors and sufferers who have been following the work of Scroop and Burnett in Adelaide.? ?These revelations were clearly deeply damaging. The so-called "National Institutes of Health study of 196 natural products", which had been the jewel in Mannatech?s crown, was now shown to be neither independent, nor Government funded - if indeed it had ever been done at all. Mannatech?s prestigious spokesman was not only no longer Clinical Professor of Medicine of UCI, but had apparently left under a cloud. The company went into damage control. A press release was issued in which Mannatech President, Samuel Caster, said: "We have disassociated ourselves completely and unequivocally from Dr. See." He claimed that Mannatech had "made every effort to verify Dr. See's claims," but the researcher "misled the company", and they were considering legal action [6]. (A lawsuit alleging "fraudulent representations" was later filed.) Meanwhile a notice was posted on the Mannatech website warning distributors not to mention See?s research in their sales pitch: Statement Concerning Studies of Dr. Darryl See Recent questions have raised serious concerns about peripheral issues surrounding certain research studies performed by Dr. Darryl See. Until these questions are resolved, we are asking all Mannatech Associates to refrain from using the studies of Dr. See in conduct of their business.? http://www.masmith.inspired.net.au/docs/mannatec.htm ?It is generally acknowledged that breaking off a leaf from a living aloe vera plant and applying the juice to a burn is an excellent first aid measure. Aloe vera juice is also used in burn wards to soothe, protect and moisten wounds. The problem with marketing the juice is that it doesn't keep well. Processing inactivates the ingredient that produces the desired effects. So, many aloe vera products contain processed juice that has lost the plant's helpful properties. According to Mannatech's literature, aloe vera expert Ivan Danhof, PhD, MD, warned aloe promoters about making claims, and on the instability of beta-1,4-mannan molecules. Mannatech says that the "future of aloe vera belongs to those who have the ability to stabilize and standardize (emphasis added) this labile polysaccharide," and that Manapol is the "only commercially processed aloe vera product capable of achieving and make the claim for standardizing betamannans."? http://www.ncahf.org/articles/j-n/mannatech.html ?The pill Ambrotose, which costs about $NZ300 a month and is sold through a pyramid-type scheme, has been rubbished by the New Zealand Aids Foundation and other health groups. It is alleged that sellers of Ambrotose in New Zealand are using US claims the product can alleviate symptoms of HIV, cystic fibrosis, cancer, arthritis, down's syndrome and a host of other illnesses and diseases. The Health Ministry said tonight it had warned the New Zealand distributors of Ambrotose they could be in breach of the Medicines Act if the claims were used in this country.? http://www.religionnewsblog.com/archives/00002640.html Ingredients of one of Mannatech?s supplements: Arabinogalactan (Larix deciduae) (gum) is from the European larch tree, a species of pine tree. Gum ghatti is from the deciduous tree Anogeissus Latifolia, found in India. It is used as an emulsifier and stabilizer. Gum tragacanth is a sap made from locoweed and used in making chewing gum. Mannapol is Mannatech?s proprietary name for aloe vera extract. Silicone dioxide and magnesium stearate are drying agents and preservatives. The only ingredient that may have any valuable properties is the aloe! Aloe which reportedly loses it?s potency when desiccated to make the capsules. http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=124 http://www.krystal-colloids.com/ghatti.html http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph34.htm ?Mannatech distributors, however, always give themselves away by talking about glycochemicals, which are magic sugars that only Mannatech can provide. Apparently, these sugars are vital for life and we are all short of them, although real scientists seem to think that the body is quite capable of making any of these chemicals that it needs and that the glyconutrients get broken down in the stomach anyway and are not directly used by the body. Alt-med promoters are fond of adding a veneer of respectability to their claims by making statements that they hope nobody will check, and an example came from a Mannacreep who did just that when he posted the following bilge to an alternative medicine forum: In 1994, Dr Gunter Blobel MD PhD, received the Nobel Peace Prize for his discovery in glycoproteins have with the body's ability to fix itself. Leaving aside for the moment the odd language construction of the statement, it raised certain questions. The first is the obvious one of why the Peace Prize would have been awarded for something like this. As the 1994 Peace Prize was awarded to those great champions of a peaceful end to the Middle East unrest, Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin, it was obvious that there was at least one "mistake" in the statement. Perhaps Dr Blobel received the 1994 prize for Physiology and Medicine, but, no, that was won by Alfred G. Gilman and Martin Rodbell "for their discovery of G-proteins and the role of these proteins in signal transduction in cells". Could these "G-proteins" be glycoproteins which can help the body fix itself? Well, no, the "G" stands for guanosine triphosphate, which helps messages from hormones pass through cell membranes. So what did Dr Blobel do? He won the 1999 Medicine Prize "for the discovery that proteins have intrinsic signals that govern their transport and localization in the cell", which again has nothing to do with either glycoanythings or the body fixing itself. Bad Mannaperson! Try harder next time.? http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles/comment/mannatech.htm ?So are you saying anything that has to do with nutritional supplements is a scam? No. I am saying that multi-level marketing is a scam. The fact that Mannatech products are useless and have no nutritional value is icing on the cake.? http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles/comment/mannatech.htm ?Recently I've noticed a resurgence of Mannatech going around saying they have the new therapy in the form of vitamins or some nutritional supplement. I'm here to tell you, don't fall for it!!! I've seen some PALS waste hundreds and hundreds of dollars on Mannatech, for nothing. This is a pyramid scheme that will make all sorts of claims. If they come to you, simply ask them "Which medical standard published Mannatech's findings?" Answer? None! These dirtbags prey on people at their most vulnerable moments. Whew! That felt good!? http://www.als.ca/_forum/alstopic.php?t=375&highlight= Bogus schools & their grads · Clayton School of Natural Health · Hulda Clark · Hulda Clark exposed ·*******Stephen Nugent - Mannatech *************** · Eileen Renders · Canyon College · Kurt Donbach · Kurt Donsbach exposed · Columbia Pacific University · Monte Kline · Barry Broughton · Bernadean Bernadean exposed · University of Natural Medicine · Tuition and funding · It's NOT a University http://www.healthwatcher.net/Quackerywatch/Quackery-U/tp000504letter.html Marketing Scheme http://www.programcritique.com/subcategories/NetworkMarketingMLM/Mannatech.html?Name=%20Mannatech#cust_review Mannatech Sued ============== Mannatech, several of its officers, and a chiropractor who was a major distributor are being sued by the mother of a child who died of Tay-Sachs disease whose photograph has been used to promote Mannatech products. According to the complaint: · Mannatech distributors circulated a nude picture of the child and claimed that he had benefited from their products. · The child actually died in 1997, shortly after using the products. · The marketing campaign persisted until 2004 despite requests by child's mother to stop it. The suit alleges intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional and negligent misrepresentation, invasion of privacy, and unfair competition. In February 2005, Sam Castor and Dr. Kathryn Dykman were voluntarily dismissed as defendants, but the suit continues against the others. [Note: To respect the plaintiff's privacy, her name and her son's name have been replaced by their initials (CS, YJS) in the document below.] http://www.mlmwatch.org/04C/Mannatech/complaint.html ?Vera Wilson brought me some Mannatech products, ambrotose to boost the immune system. All of our cells have little feelers on them, and if the immune system is down the feelers are flat. They don?t communicate with each other and a disease cell can pass by. If they are up and healthy, the recognize the cell as foreign and kill it. She also brought me phytaloe which is vitamins from the vine ripened fruit and vegetables. So I had lots of outside help. Dr. Graham was not impressed. He said that he had never seen anything help yet.? http://www.bellayre.com/ONTestml.html When I looked up glyconutrients and multiple myeloma, I came across this site: http://research-data.com/Latest-Findings/MGN-3-Natural-Pharmacy.htm I looked up Dr. Mamdooh Ghoneum, who ?received? the International Scientist of the Year award. When you look up ?International Scientist of the Year? on Google, this is all you get! http://www.lifespirit.org/shriseaward.html This led me to research Charles Drew University of Science and Medicine, which is NOT a medical school for physicians-to-be. It does offer careers in allied health, podiatry and chiropractic.?These institutions award most of their degrees in such fields as chiropractic, nursing, pharmacy, or podiatry.? http://www.50states.com/college/detail/ca/111966.htm Now, Dr. Mamdooh Ghoneum could be a very nice man, and I do not intend to denigrate his reputation. Nor do I intend to besmirch the name of Charles Drew University. I am trying to show how unscrupulous businesses like to quote medical schools and scientists. On closer examination, you find that none of this legitimization holds water. The research above is intended to show that none of the glyconutrient research is funded or documented by legitimate medical institutions. I would not risk my life on supplements that are not truly scientifically researched. Please note I am not against all supplements. I believe certain herbs and supplements have their place. But poorly researched supplements, that are not backed by scientific research, along with a multi-level marketing scheme adds up to a scam. (A non-scientific clue to detecting a scam site is the presence of large ?Click Here? buttons, poor design, advertisements for website hosting, flashing thingies and sites that sell vitamins, supplements and snake oil. It is certainly true that legitimate sites may be poorly designed at times, but they do not sell or promote supplements, and are affiliated with academic and scientific instutions). As far as Mannatech products actually helping someone, I could find no scientific proof. But, let?s not forget the power of positive thinking. I believe that a patient taking Mannatech products thinks they work, and thus perhaps they feel better. It?s called the placebo effect. If you want to try the placebo effect, you can save money by substituting empty or sugar filled capsules and TELLING the patient it is a wonder drug. ?The placebo effect is the measurable, observable, or felt improvement in health not attributable to treatment. This effect is believed by many people to be due to the placebo itself in some mysterious way. A placebo (Latin for ?I shall please?) is a medication or treatment believed by the administrator of the treatment to be inert or innocuous. Placebos may be sugar pills or starch pills. Even ?fake? surgery and ?fake? psychotherapy are considered placebos. Researchers and medical doctors sometimes give placebos to patients. Anecdotal evidence for the placebo effect is garnered in this way. Those who believe there is scientific evidence for the placebo effect point to clinical studies, many of which use a control group treated with a placebo. Why an inert substance, or a fake surgery or therapy, would be effective is not known. The psychological theory: it's all in your mind Some believe the placebo effect is psychological, due to a belief in the treatment or to a subjective feeling of improvement.? http://skepdic.com/placebo.html Questionable sites: http://www.1cure4cancer.com/products/mgn3.html http://research-data.com/Latest-Findings/ARABINOXYLANE.htm http://www.cancer-success.com/mgn_3_b.htm Reliable sites: http://www.multiplemyeloma.org/ http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_is_multiple_myeloma_30.asp http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/multiplemyeloma.html As you have noticed by now, none of the reliable sites I have provided suggest using Mannatech/aloe vera/cow colostrums for treating MM. This site outlines different forms of therapies, including stem cell infusion, interferon and thalidomide. http://www.racp.edu.au/anzjm/ju00cp.htm This site illustrates the pathophysiology of multiple myeloma, and different therapies, excluding Mannatech products. http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~jmp/Myeloma.htm One MM patient?s story: ?He felt that the safest thing to do at this point of time was for me to go on the Thalidomide and Dexamethasone low dosage therapy and to stay plumb away from anything with Aspartame in it and we would see what happens. It really makes you wonder if these counts were responding so well to the treatments or if it was just that my system was getting rid of this poison. I have not had any of it in my system for 4 days now and already the bloating and gas are gone from my stomach, I did not have to take Excedrin for migraines but once today, and my back, hips and other joints which were a constant pain were barely noticeable today. I had more energy today than I have had in a long time. I go to my oncologist here at home next Tuesday to get started on my treatment but I know that even if I do have this disease that my other problems appear to be on the mend. I used to work for a Chinese herbalist and they have a Chinese all natural herb tea that will cleanse the body of all toxins. I intend to go tomorrow and get some of this and hope it will help flush this poison out of my system. May 2, 2002: Well, I had an appointment with my local Oncologist on Tuesday 4/22/02. I discussed with him my findings on Aspartame and he was very much open to the possibility that it may in some way be involved with my MM. He wanted to do some more blood work and and to contact M.D. Anderson Hospital and have them send my last lab findings that they had taken. He also informed me that I had actually started coming out of remission in Oct. of 2001, which means I was not in remission for even a year. M.D. Anderson had ordered some lab work to be done here at a my local doctors office and this doctor had faxed my oncologist here, as well as M.D. Anderson, the final report.? http://mm.acor.org/Active/Barnett_Marla.htm There you go! I hope this is the information you were seeking! If any part of my answer is unclear, contains broken links, or contains information you already had, please request an Answer Clarification, before rating. By not rating until I have responded to your clarification request, I may continue assisting you on this question. Remember, this answer if for informational purposes only, and is not intended to replace sound medical advice from a licensed physician. I wish your friend the best. Sincerely, Crabcakes (I am not a physician, but an M.T. (ASCP) and have worked in Special Hematology for many years) Search Terms ============= Velcade + efficacy + multiple myeloma Remicade + efficacy + multiple myeloma glyconutrients + multiple myeloma glyconutrients Mannatech Aloe vera + multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma therapies