November 2006

 Introducing ...

A member of the International Scientific Advisory Panel -- Bruce Lipton, PhD

When Matthew McCoy, DC and Robert Blanks, PhD founded Research & Clinical Science (RCS), they realized that the credibility and validity of the program would rely in great part on the quality of researchers chosen to analyze the data collected by chiropractors around the world.

They sought out a world‑class group of respected scientists with unimpeachable credentials and proven expertise in health care research. The result of their efforts was the RCS International Scientific Advisory Panel, a multi‑disciplinary group charged with overseeing the collection of, and analyzing, data compiled on hundreds of thousands of volunteers and chiropractic patients across the globe.

Each month during this special series, The Chiropractic Journal profiles one member of this prestigious panel.

Bruce Lipton, PhD

Bruce Lipton, PhD, is a scientist, author, university professor and highly sought after lecturer on the science of the mind‑body connection and the biology of belief. He has been a guest speaker on dozens of television and radio shows, as well as keynote presenter for national conferences.

Dr. Lipton's primary training was in cell biology. He completed his BA degree in Biology at C.W. Post College of Long Island University, Brookville, NY. He went on to complete his PhD work in 1971 in the Department of Developmental Cell Biology from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, and then a two‑year NIH post‑doctoral fellowship (1972‑1973) working with Antone Jacobson in the Department of Zoology at the University of Texas.

Lipton's first faculty post was in the Department of Anatomy at the University of Wisconsin's School of Medicine, which he held from 1973‑79. Throughout his PhD thesis work and early research career, he focused on muscular system and diseases such as muscular dystrophy.

His studies employed the use of cloned human stem cells, and used these to analyze molecular mechanisms controlling cell behavior. His career received a major boost with the development of tissue transplantation techniques developed in collaboration with Dr. Ed Schultz. These results were first published in Science and were subsequently employed as a novel form of human genetic engineering.

He was then recruited to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison, as Associate Professor of Anatomy (1979‑82), and was then promoted to Professor of Anatomy at St. George's University School of Medicine (1983‑86), University Centre, Grenada (West Indies).

As a breakthrough, in 1982, Lipton began examining the principles of quantum physics and how they might be integrated into his understanding of the cell's information‑processing systems. He produced breakthrough studies on the cell membrane, which revealed that this outer layer of the cell was an organic homologue of a computer chip, the cell's equivalent of a brain.

Over the next ten years, he continued to hold various faculty appointments as senior scientist in the Department of Biology at Penn State University (1987‑88), the Department of Dermatology and Pathology at Stanford University Medical Center (1988‑92), Director for the Institute for Cellular Communication (1991‑93), University of the Trees Boulder Creek, CA, and JF Kennedy University, Orinda, CA (1994‑97).

His research at Stanford University's School of Medicine, between 1987 and 1992, revealed that the environment ‑‑ operating though the membrane ‑‑ controlled the behavior and physiology of the cell, turning genes on and off.

His discoveries, which ran counter to the established scientific view that life is controlled by the genes, led to one of today's most important fields of study: the science of epigenetics.

Two major scientific publications derived from these studies defined the molecular pathways connecting the mind and body. Many subsequent papers by other researchers have since validated his concepts and ideas.

During these early years in academics, he taught most of the basic science courses in histology, cell biology, gross anatomy, embryology, and physiology for graduate students, medical students and other health professionals.

His career then underwent a paradigm shift and for the past 10 years Lipton has held faculty positions in three of our leading chiropractic colleges; two in the United States and the New Zealand College.

From 1995‑98 he was Adjunct Professor at Life Chiropractic College West, and from 1999‑05 he held the title of Visiting Faculty at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport.

Just this year, he was appointed Visiting Fellow, New Zealand College of Chiropractic, Aukland, NZ.

Of course, his teaching shifted accordingly, and he was able to offer courses on the Biology of Consciousness (an elective at JFK University, quantum mechanics and fractal biology (a CEU course at Life Chiropractic College West).

In addition to publishing a large number of stellar papers in peer‑reviewed scientific journals, perhaps the most exciting aspects of Lipton's career are his several exciting books summarizing his seminal research on the role of perception in shaping our genetic expression.

His recent, ground breaking book entitled "The Biology of Belief" covers in simple language how one should now think about the environment and, more specifically, how our perception of the environment controls the activity of the genes.

Of course, this is a radical departure from genetic determinism taught in the medical curriculum, which holds that human traits are preprogrammed into our genes, and one's attributes, deficits and health status are merely a reflection of one's heredity.

According to Lipton (and confirmed by other scientists) the new perspective of human biology is that the body does not simply respond mechanically.

Rather, the mind‑body connection is capable of regulating genetic expression through stress and environmental regulation of epigenetic and cell cycle regulatory factors.

This breakthrough concept suggests that when the mind perceives that the environment is safe, the cells undergo normal growth and maintenance. In contrast, during stress situations, cells cease normal growth and nutritive functions and adopt a defensive "protective" role.

Lipton's role in this new perspective was to identify the cell's genetic material more as a more passive adaptive element, secondary to the environmental changes acting on the cell membrane, second messengers and other molecular pathways to gate genetic expression.

Now, really for the first time, there is a link between consciousness and cellular response, biology and belief; a mechanism that accounts for the mind‑body effect fundamental to the power of the mind to direct healing of the body.

The chiropractic profession is very fortunate to have won the attention of such a well‑respected and innovative cell biologist as Dr. Lipton.

In an extremely well‑written and referenced two‑part document, Lipton applies modern cell and molecular biological theory to the original tenants of DD Palmer. These documents, "The Evolving Science of Chiropractic Science, Part I and II (Lipton, Today's Chiropractic, pp.16‑19, Sept/Oct 1998) cover the history of physical and metaphysical theory, vitalism, Universal Intelligence and Innate Intelligence.

In that work, Lipton introduces the cellular and molecular changes with environmental challenges ‑‑ epigenetic factors ‑‑ and concludes that the "New Biology of Belief" brings conventional biomedicine into closer alliance with DD Palmer's original chiropractic philosophy.

Lipton states "leading edge cellular and molecular research is now proving that chiropractic should embrace and promote it vitalistic roots."

He adds, "In 1907, chiropractors rejected DD Palmers philosophy as being too religious or metaphysical. In an effort to present themselves in a more 'scientific' light, the profession has been gradually moving toward allopathic science for the last 90 years. Interestingly, allopaths have now begun to realize Palmer's truths. If things continue as they are, allopaths may soon be more 'chiropractic' than chiropractors!"

Lipton adds an important and unique dimension to the RCS research program. The RCS approach is not to limit scientific discovery to allopathic endpoints, but rather to apply well‑proven research methodologies and large populations of patients under care to examine the full‑range of health benefits of the chiropractic adjustment.