Page 16 - Winter2018

The alarming Standardized tests that assess the DNA inspired me to try to figure out a mechanism by
rise in the damage often associated with cancer cells can which glyphosate could cause non-Hodgkin’s
imply carcinogenic potential for a chemical. For lymphoma. One significant observation is that
prevalence example, one can examine exposed cells under autoimmune disease, which is alarmingly on
of celiac a microscope looking for easy-to-spot features the rise in industrialized nations, is a strong
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disease such as micronuclei and binucleated cells. risk factor for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
During the normal process of cell division or In the series of six papers linking glyphosate
matches up mitosis, a “parent” cell splits to form two iden- to various diseases that Anthony Samsel and
very well tical “daughter” cells, including duplication of I have published, the second one focused on
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with the rise its chromosomes. Micronuclei are small nuclei glyphosate and celiac disease. In people with
that form whenever a fragment of a chromo-
celiac disease, ingestion of gluten provokes
in glyphosate some is not properly incorporated into one of an immune response that damages the small
usage on the daughter nuclei during cell division. This intestine. A growing practice among farmers
wheat crops. can be caused by DNA hypomethylation (i.e., involves spraying glyphosate on wheat just
altered DNA methylation affecting gene expres-
before harvest as a desiccant, and we argued in
sion) or by unrepaired or incorrectly repaired our paper that glyphosate contamination is what
DNA breaks. Binucleated cells are cells with a is making wheat so allergenic.
pair of conjoined nuclei. These are commonly In the paper, we also pointed out that people
seen in tumors, occurring when the normal with celiac disease generally have a shortened
process of cell division is arrested early, and a life span—and this is due mainly to an increased
cell essentially becomes a set of Siamese twins. risk of cancer, particularly non-Hodgkin’s lym-
An expert witness in the glyphosate trial phoma. We referenced papers showing a link
discussed two scientific studies—one based between non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and glypho-
in Ecuador and one from Colombia —both of sate in population studies based in Canada, the
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which showed an association between increased United States and Sweden. As reproduced
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exposure among human populations to glypho- here in Figure 1 (next page), the alarming rise
sate and increased numbers of micronuclei and in the prevalence of celiac disease matches up
binucleated cells in blood samples. One of the very well with the rise in glyphosate usage on
major sources of exposure in these studies was wheat crops.
the widespread use of glyphosate to kill coca One characteristic feature of the dysfunc-
crops in the “war on drugs.” tional immune response that typifies celiac
Statistically, farmers have a higher rate disease is a massive overproduction of immuno-
of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma than the general globulin A (IgA) autoantibodies by specialized
population, but it is not easy to tease out expo- B cells in the gut. IgA is an antibody that plays
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sure to glyphosate as distinct from exposure to a crucial role in the immune function of mucous
the many other toxic chemicals that farmers rou- membranes. In celiac disease, undigested gluten
tinely use. It’s increasingly clear, however, that peptides cross the epithelial barrier and, follow-
there is a glyphosate-related “smoking gun.” ing modification by the enzyme transglutamin-
Although the powerful chemical industry lobby ase, are transported by dendritic cells to local
has made it difficult to sway regulators to change lymphoid tissues, inducing a strong proinflam-
their policy regarding glyphosate, the World matory T-cell response, and a subsequent B-cell
Health Organization’s International Agency for antibody response. These activated immune
Research on Cancer (IARC) declared glypho- cells then infiltrate the gut lining and cause an
sate to be a “probable carcinogen” in 2015. This inflammatory autoimmune attack against not
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has caused many regulatory agencies to revisit only transglutaminase but also against actin,
glyphosate as a potential carcinogen. collagen and other proteins, inducing the intes-
tinal discomfort associated with celiac disease.
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AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE AND As celiac disease induces a state of chronic
NON-HODGKIN’S LYMPHOMA inflammation, this results in oxidative stress,
The success of Mr. Johnson’s lawsuit has which in turn causes DNA damage and an

14 Wise Traditions WINTER 2018