Standard Process® Products / What are Protomorphogens?

"Anti-Aging", "Life Extension", "Youth Restoration", these and many other "catch phrases" stimulate the public to spend millions of dollars in search of the quality of life they once had or now have that they wish to maintain. No matter the expense, people will spend money IF there is hope of improved sexual vigor, increased vitality, better sleep, the assuredness that they might liver longer, etc. etc. etc.

The Key to Longevity

The key to longevity has long been know to be sustaining the health of the INDIVIDUAL CELL, allowing it to live out its full pre-programmed lifespan. Any attempt to unravel and explain the complex mystery of cellular life is met with more questions. How is it that a single living unit can determine the outcome of our health? Why do cells behave the way they do? And, what happens when they don't behave the way they should? We know many details and we do, indeed, understand much about the human cell, but what we know is so very little when compared to what we do not know. Dr. Royal Lee (founder and developer of Standard Process), certainly held this humble view and this viewpoint led him in the development of food supplements to help nutritionally deficient people get well and stay well.

In the 1940's, Dr. Lee's most brilliant achievement was possibly seen. He published in 1947, "The Theory of Protomorpholgy". He did not claim originality in this work although his work is filled with original ideas. He believed that many other before and contemporaneous with him had already done the work and that his job was to bring these brilliant ideas together into a cohesive theory of cell reproduction. He drew from the concerted work of the best investigative minds in the world and found answers that fully satisfied his destination.

One enigma in biology that has perplexed scientists for years is how living cells not only repair area of damage but do it with such precision. How does the body "know" when sufficient cell reproduction has taken place? What is the feedback mechanism that allow the body to so accurately regulate growth? Why is this mechanism not working properly in cases of cancer or other forms of unregulated cellular growth? Up to the mid 1800's these questions were asked over and over and answers were sought with intensity. Dr. Lee believed that the answers were already existent, but no one seemed to see or understand WHAT was there. From the work of Antoine Beauchamp in 1870 to that of Gaston Naessens today, a consistent theory with simple practical application has always been there, seemingly hidden yet so clearly discerned by Dr. Royal Lee.

The Theory of Protomorpholgy

In his book, "The Theory of Protomorpholgy", Dr. Lee discusses how he pioneered a unique method of deriving extracts from the "cell determinants" of specific organs and glands for clinical use. Dr. Lee described in detail what these extracts contained and how they functioned in regard to cell regulation, maintenance, and interaction with tissue antibodies. It is clear both from the description of the extraction process and clinical use that these extracts differ from what is commonly referred to as "protomorphogens." Rather, Protomorphogen™ is the trademark owned and used by Standard Process Inc., as a brand name assigned to these uniquely derived extracts.

The protomorphogen is the fundamental building block of cell life. It is not DNA or RNA. Nor is it, in its simplest state, a protein or nucleoprotein. It is a "template" or spatial pattern that determines the production of nucleoproteins or other proteins. This primary unit is CELL SPECIFIC, NOT SPECIES SPECIFIC. This is significant. For example, liver protomorphogen is specific as a pattern for liver cell activity; a protomorphogen, properly extracted, is the SAME throughout all mammalian species. Because it is a mineral substrate, it is, for all practical purposes, indestructible.

Or, put in more technical terms, this mineral skeleton forms the framework onto which the chromosome (a linear thread in nucleus of cell that contains the DNA) is then constructed. It is believed that this mineral skeleton, along with its associated nucleoproteins forms the shortest unit of the chromosome. This unit, the cell determinant, is easily polymerized to form organized groups of cell determinants that in turn form the gene, and genes then form the chromosome. The basic structure of the cell determinants is predicated on the specific chemical affinities of the mineral components. Dr. Lee believed that the influence of the cell determinant is due, in large part, to the organized groups of mineral links that serve both as a template and a catalyst to initiate the formation of specific protein molecules. At its most basic level, the attached nucleoprotein moiety (one of two equal parts) is simply attracted and bound due to this chemical affinity of the mineral skeleton. It follows then that the individual genetic pattern is actively formed over this basic framework.

While in the cell determinant state, there appears to be an affinity for lipid substances and a high degree of absorption onto connective tissue. It has been demonstrated that when cell determinant levels are low, cell division decreases. In similar fashion, when higher concentrations are present, cell division is inhibited. These studies show that stimulation is exerted by both homologous (similar in structure and origin but not necessarily in function) and heterologous (cell tissue not normal to the part) cell determinants, while inhibition is exhibited by homologous cell determinants. It is critical to note that this stimulation effect is specifically related to normal cellular growth and not the stimulation of abnormal cell patterns.

It also appears that cell determinants can group to form cell-mediated growth factors. There are a number of cell-mediated growth factor cycles. These include the determinant cycle, which is specifically concerned with the organization of cell morphology (the form and structure of an organism or any of its parts) and metabolic cycle, which is related to cellular energy mechanisms.

At mitosis, the chromosome discharges a significant amount of chromatin into the cytoplasm. This organizes the morphology of the cell cytoplasm. The metabolic cycle may be an augmented manifestation of the determinant cycle. It is interesting to note that synthesis and excretion of cell determinants is a dynamic process and appears to occur independently of the determinant cycle, since extracellular cell determinants continue to accumulate even after cell division ceases.

Cell determinants are found intact through the body and play a role in cell growth and regulation. Proper ratios of intracellular and extracellular cell determinants are critical for optimal cellular health. It appears that poor cellular function and abnormal cellular growth may have their roots in abnormalities of the cell determinant cycles. Based on this hypothesis, adding Protomorphogen™ brand extracts has been shown to help maintain cellular health. This effect is believed to be the result of keeping the cellular process in proper balance. In an atmosphere of appropriate cellular balance, maintenance and normalization of the cell cycle can occur; especially in the presence of suitable, biochemical supportive nutrients known to have significant influence upon the organ in question, for example, vitamin A on the eyes.

The use of Protomorphogen™ brand extracts can aid in maintaining normal cellular metabolism and cell cycling. This is an important feature that should not be overlooked and is perhaps one of the most important aspects for using Protomorphogen™ brand extracts in the clinical setting. Of equal importance, it is essential to consistently provide proper nutritional synergists for cellular support. This will improve the efficacy of the clinical application of Protomorphogen™ brand extracts.

The Use of Protomorphogens in the Nutritional Therapy

If the theory of protomorpholgy was Dr. Lee's greatest intellectual achievement, then his greatest engineering achievement was in the development and perfection of the process of extracting the protomorphogen and making it available in tablet form. He provided the PMG's for 23 cell types, and thus opened a vast universe of therapeutic tools for the practitioner and patient. In essence, Dr. Lee gave us everything we need to assist cases in which cell growth and/or repair is a factor.

There are two broad categories of cases that can benefit for PMG support. The first is one in which there is or appears to be an actual genetic defect or limitation that precludes normal cell function or growth and the other is what is commonly referred to as "autoimmune disease". The amazing thing about Dr. Lee's work is that he so clearly understood the factors that lead to these "modern" problems and had equally as clearly worked out potential solutions by creating the PMGs. Yet he did this long before aberrant immune response ("auto-immune") was even understood or accepted. Dr. Lee's theory was so far ahead of "current thinking", that he was dismissed as being a quack and was never given serious consideration, except by those practitioners who already knew him and his previous work with whole food supplements. In truth, the practical and incredibly powerful therapeutic application of the protomorpholgy theory was ahead of his time, perhaps by a century or more!

The use of protomorpholgy is not expensive. It does not and need not interfere with "orthodox care". It can, properly applied, only help and never hurt. The very worst that can happen is nothing, simply nothing. It does require the admission that the body is truly a self-healing organism, and that sometimes just a very few simple things are needed. The key is finding the right things. If a practitioner finds himself in the trap of thinking that "it's all so complicated", he should just ask himself, "How have humans survived thus far?"

The Natural Food Concentrate Philosophy

Dr. Royal Lee insisted that only naturally occurring food sources contain what the human body REQUIRES for proper function. He believed that the only acceptable therapeutic approach was to concentrate whole foods in such a way as to preserve all the known and UNKNOWN factors. This premise is widely unknown today. It is assumed that SCIENCE can determine ALL aspects of human nutrition and EXTRACT the specific nutrients. This is MARKETING HYPE and bears little resemblance to rational thinking. An EXTRACT is always incomplete and though it may well have great short-term use it can never provide more--not in a "natural" sense! What about research? YES!! But let that research lead us to better farming methods to preserve the wondrous bounty that has been provided us. Let this research lead us to healthful aging "naturally"!