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| Year : 2012 | Volume
: 5
| Issue : 1 | Page : 75-76 |
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| Response 1 |
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Sen Pathak
Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Genetics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Texas, USA
Click here for correspondence address and email
| Date of Web Publication | 11-Jan-2012 |
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How to cite this article:
Pathak S. Response 1. Int J Yoga 2012;5:75-6 |
Sir,
I agree with the author that Yoga practice may have protective effects on individuals exposed to manmade nuclear radiation or even natural radiation. It could be true for both, a general human population exposed to accidental nuclear radiation as in the case of Chernobyl and most recently, Japan nuclear plant radiation leakage and cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. Furthermore, Yoga practice may provide both physical and psychological benefits (holistic) in these cases.
One must also consider another most rewarding but neglected benefit of Yoga practice called "cell selection in vivo". It is known that not all cells of a radiation-exposed individual receive the same amount of radiation dosage and hence, their genetic damage may vary from cell to cell. In other words, severely exposed cells will show more genetic damage and die earlier as compared to the less exposed ones, which will also depend on the cell cycle. Cells with minor genetic damage that are able to survive are the real "demons", and can cause havoc on health and, therefore, must be eliminated from the body. Such cells and their progeny can initiate the process of neoplastic transformation and may develop into fully formed cancer. Research in the area of "cell selection in vivo" using Yoga practice which also include Pranayam (science of breathing) is sorely needed and must be encouraged in biomedical investigations.
Cancer cells or precancerous cells prefer to survive in low oxygen environment, whereas normal organ stem cells prefer to divide and survive in optimum oxygen conditions. By practicing Yoga including Pranayama, cancer cells present in patients' body and precancerous cells of normal individuals may be eliminated because of higher intake of oxygen. On the other hand, in such an environment, normal somatic stem cells will be selected to thrive and undergo rapid cell divisions. Yoga practice will also be helpful in eliminating the toxins that may be formed by the radiation-induced dying cells. We have earlier shown that dying cells produce clastogen in the form of toxin that can induce genetic damage in the healthy living cells. [1]
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| 1. | Sohn SH, Multani AS, Gugnani PK, Pathak S. Telomere erosion-induced mitotic catastrophe in continuously grown Chinese Hamster Don cells. Exp Cell Res 2002;279:271-6. 
[PUBMED] [FULLTEXT] |
Correspondence Address:
Sen Pathak
Department of Genetics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Texas
USA
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
PMID: 22346073 
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