Author Description

In the second edition of his book, Aaron White takes readers on a tour of research on transfer factors, peptides found in pre-milk (colostrum) and white blood cells. While antibodies help the immune system target pathogens floating in blood and lymph, transfer factors are hypothesized to support cell-mediated immunity by helping the body locate pathogens hiding inside of cells, beyond the reach of antibodies. Cell-mediated immunity also plays a central role in suppressing and destroying cancer cells. This book explores 60 years of scientific research on these mysterious molecules, beginning with the discovery in 1949 by distinguished immunologist, H Sherwood Lawrence, that extracts from white blood cells could transfer delayed-type (cell-mediated) immune responses from patients with tuberculosis to patients without. Evidence collected since suggests that these compounds, which Dr. Lawrence collectively called "transfer factor" because of their ability to transfer an immune response, are generated by white blood cells in response to infections and are passed from mothers to newborns in colostrum. Studies explored in the book suggest these compounds might carry information that could help the body fight, or perhaps even prevent, intracellular viruses (e.g., herpes, hepatitis C, HPV, HIV), bacteria, mycobacteria (e.g., tuberculosis), and perhaps even cancers. The author concludes that the exact nature of transfer factors and their roles in immune function remain unclear but that additional scientific inquiry certainly is warranted. More broadly, the areas of research pioneered by Dr. Lawrence suggest that greater emphasis should be placed on promoting cell-mediated immunity, rather than antibody-mediated immunity alone, to help the body avoid and fight infectious diseases.