[Becky]

Dear Chris

It seems to me that if you were just on Herceptin, one would want the olive oil high in the diet because both Herceptin and some component(s) of EVOO bind to the extra cellular domain of Her2+ bc cells and then encourage apoptosis (cell death) versus reproduction. That is a good thing.

However, in the case of MCC-DM1, you might want as many of the tagged Herceptin molecules to attach to the extra cellular domain since it has the toxin attached to it. This ensures that more bc cells should be killed and since the half life of Herceptin is still about 25 days, it should keep killing if the toxin stays around that long.

I think the difference comes into play if EVOO also binds to other Her family sites besides the Her2 site, then it might be mega beneficial but I have never seen any other studies except ones like the one you attached.

It would seem to me that I wouldn't over indulge the EVOO. But then again, what does that mean. For example, if one ate it as salad dressing or had a tablespoon per day, is that even enough to have a therapeutic effect at all? We really don't know if we have to drink a cup per day or more to get the kind of effect in the human body (once it hits the stomach and finally hits the bloodstream) as they do in these petri dish studies. If you are having EVOO salad dressing, I think it would be just fine (and good for your heart) to go about life business as usual. Since drinking it off the spoon isn't really "natural" like using it in cooking, why do that while in this trial? Also, don't take Olive leaf supplements as they are oleuropein but otherwise, I wouldn't cut EVOO completely out of the diet unless you are using it so excessively.

Any little bit that is "left over" to bind to the ECD would be negliable in a normal diet (but may be chemoprotective over a lifetime on the Med diet).

That's my humble opinion and I'm stickin' to it!

Rock on.