A simple act of "Taking out the Trash"

Thymosin Alpha-1 is a peptide that communicates to our stem cells to stimulate our immune system to clean the terrain

Could we please recap? Dr. Otto Warburg, Nobel Laureate of 1931, discovered a fundamental truth about cancer: even in the presence of oxygen, cancer cells rely on anaerobic fermentation of glucose. This phenomenon became known as the Warburg Effect. He famously declared that no disease, including cancer, can survive in an alkaline, oxygen-rich environment.

Decades later, Dr. Max Gerson expanded on this principle, shifting the focus from the diseased cell to the soil it grows, the terrain. He understood that you cannot treat the cell without first healing its environment.

And now, in our time, we return to these foundational truths.

The First Wound: Soiling the Soul and the Terrain

From the fishing boat, stranded in the Pacific Ocean without gas in our ordeal to America, without water and food, Sonny and I were drifting slowly, dying. As a young boy, I had that constant inner child-like talk to God. I prayed for a miracle, and a giant container ship spotted us from the distance, gave us water and some food, and towed us to Malaysia, where we were sent to the refugee camps.

“Never get out of the boat. Absolutely, goddamn right. Unless you were going all the way.”

This famous line from Apocalypse Now captures the theme of “entering the darkness.” It is delivered by Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) as he reflects on the moment when their patrol boat crew steps off into the jungle, the beginning of a descent into psychological and moral darkness.

“The horror… the horror.”

It’s the essence of what Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) found at the end of his journey, facing the full weight of human darkness and madness.

I got out of the boat at that moment, not metaphorically, but literally. I stepped into the filth, the disease, the chaos. I went all the way into the darkness that no child should ever know.

That ocean wasn’t just water—it was a baptism into trauma. It marked the first wound. The soiling, not only of my body but of my soul… and my terrain.

The unfortunate truth about what I went through is that I remember most of the darkness. The details have never left me. The most vivid and haunting memory is of the latrine.

It was built like the image you might imagine below, but with no roof, no cover, no privacy. Just a crude wooden platform, with holes cut out above a ravine. The entire structure stood high above the ground so that the waste could flow down into the stream below, carried away from the camp—though the stench never left.

I despised everything about it: the smell, the filth, the exposure. There was no dignity or separation between shame and necessity in that place. For me, it was always a quick ‘in and out.’ But for Sonny, it was something more. He was so small. Only two. And taking him there became an ordeal for him and for me.

One day, I carried him up the platform as usual. I was holding his hand, standing a few feet away, turning my head to avoid the overwhelming stench. I kept my body turned sideways, my grip still firm in his little hand, urging him to hurry.

And then—in one quick, irreversible moment—he slipped.

He fell into the hole.

The most upsetting part was that the person beside him did not try to pull him out of the ditch. In the book Man’s Search for Meaning, Dr. Viktor Frankl who was in a concentration camp observed that those who found the purpose or remembered the goodness of humanity survived. Unfortunately, I did not see that in my situation. Thus, I did only what I could and jumped into the ditch with him. The stench was up to my neck, and I held him above my head as we drifted down into the river.

We finally reached the river, the stench clinging to our bodies like a second skin. I began to wash myself, then turned to Sonny. As I scrubbed the filth from his small frame, I yelled at him—out of fear, out of shame, out of helplessness. And as I scolded him for falling into the ditch, he cried softly. Then, in his broken baby talk, he whispered: “Not strong enough to sit.”

That simple sentence shattered me.

He wasn’t just telling me what happened—he was telling me who he was in that moment: vulnerable, fragile, and looking to me for strength I hadn’t given him.

I wasn’t there for him then, not the way he needed. And I wasn’t there for him years later when he was admitted to the ICU with Covid. I couldn’t protect him then, either.

It was in that river, as I held him in my arms, both of us soaked in waste and grief, that I realized it wasn’t just our bodies that were contaminated—our very cells had been damaged, and our terrain had been soiled.

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We were “Taking out the trash” as I washed him and myself. We were cleaning up the terrain. That river was our first cleansing not just of the filth on our skin, but of something deeper. A symbolic attempt to wash away fear, helplessness, and the invisible wounds etched into our cells.

Years later, as I began to study the body, not just through the lens of Cellular Medicine, which taught me about the terrain theory, I understood what had happened to us on a cellular level. The trauma wasn’t just emotional—it had a biochemical footprint. Our immune systems had been stressed. Our terrain—the internal environment of our bodies—had been altered. And when the terrain is compromised, disease takes root.

This is why I’ve come to deeply respect the role of Thymosin Alpha-1 (TA1)—a peptide that doesn’t simply “kill cancer” but rather restores the cell and the terrain, giving the body its natural ability to fight again.

In honor of my professor, Dr. William Seeds, let’s take a closer look at the biochemistry and pathways of Thymosin Alpha-1 (TA1).

In a powerful interview with Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong and Tucker Carlson, Dr. Soon-Shiong explained how he uses a tiny dose of chemotherapy to “stress” the cancer, initiating what he called the first phase: “smoking it out.”

TA1 accomplishes something remarkably similar, but in a far more targeted and much more intelligent. Of course TA1 is better than a little chemotherapy, God made it in our Thymus Gland.

At the first stage of action, TA1 engages the Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) pathway and also activates a cascade of cytokine and chemokine signaling pathways. Specifically, it stimulates TLR2, TLR4, IRF3, IL-6, IL-2, Interferons (IFNs), and TGF-β.

This results in a short, controlled pro-inflammatory response—not as a harmful flare-up, but as a deliberate immune alert. It’s the body’s way of raising a red flag to help identify viral-infected or tumor cells that would otherwise remain hidden. This is how TA1 “smokes out” the tumor—not through destruction, but through exposure.

Unlike low-dose chemotherapy, which still carries the risk of collateral damage, TA1 acts as a precision immunomodulator. It temporarily awakens the immune system without overdriving it, helping the body to recognize what doesn’t belong—be it a virus, a rogue cell, or a cancerous mutation.

This is when Tucker said so cancer is something alive that can hide acting like a virus or an intelligent pathogen. In a way, it does this. But it is not more intelligent than our immune system.

Phase Two: Identifying and Eliminating the Threat

Once TA1 has “smoked out” the hidden virus or tumor cells through targeted immune signaling, it shifts into precision activation of the immune system’s most intelligent and powerful components.

1. Natural Killer (NK) Cell Activation

TA1 enhances the activity of Natural Killer cells, which are the body’s rapid responders. Once a tumor or infected cell is flagged, NK cells destroy it directly. There is no waiting for antibodies, and there is no delay. This is crucial in eliminating cells that try to evade traditional immune surveillance.

2. Dendritic Cell Maturation

TA1 also plays a pivotal role in maturing Dendritic Cells (DCs)—the most advanced antigen-presenting cells in the immune system. DCs are like forensic analysts; they identify, process, and present pieces of tumor or viral proteins (antigens) to the rest of the immune system, especially T cells. This is how the immune system learns what to destroy.

Without proper dendritic cell function, the immune system becomes blind, unable to coordinate an intelligent, specific response.

3. T Cell Differentiation and Deployment

With the help of TA1:

• CD4+ helper T cells are activated, providing instructions and coordination to other immune cells.

• CD8+ cytotoxic T cells are empowered to seek and destroy tumor cells, virus-infected cells, and even senescent cells—old, dysfunctional cells that contribute to aging and chronic inflammation.

This is where TA1 truly shines: not just stimulating immune activity, but guiding it with intelligence and precision.

Unlike indiscriminate treatments, TA1 doesn’t create chaos—it restores order. It helps the immune system remember what health looks like and how to return to it.

Phase Three Rebalancing: Cytokine and Chemokine Balallancing

By releasing IL10 which is a powerful anti-inflammatory and Tumor Necrososis-Beta it dampens down the pro-inflammatory process healing the cell and clearing up the terrain.

Phase Four Redox Balance: TA1 and the Glutathione Pathway

Before the cell can make the decision to repair or self-destruct, it must first sense the biochemical environment—the redox state. The fixing of the mitochondria.

One of the lesser-known but profoundly important effects of Thymosin Alpha-1 (TA1) is its role in restoring the body’s redox balance, the delicate dance between oxidative stress and antioxidant defense. TA1 helps tip the scale in favor of cellular survival and clarity.

At the heart of this balance is glutathione—the body’s master antioxidant. Specifically, TA1 upregulates the enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GPx), a key player in neutralizing dangerous free radicals like hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxides.

Why This Matters:

• Oxidative stress caused by infection, inflammation, toxins, or even emotional trauma generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage DNA, lipids, and proteins.

• Glutathione peroxidase converts harmful peroxides into harmless water and oxygen, protecting cells from oxidative injury.

• By enhancing GPx, TA1 reduces intracellular ROS, stabilizing the redox environment and setting the stage for intelligent decision-making at the cellular level.

Think of it this way: TA1 cleans the lens through which the cell sees its own condition.

Without that clarity, a damaged cell might either continue dividing with mutations—or undergo unnecessary death. But with redox balance restored, the cell is equipped to make the right choice.

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong discussed how to treat cancer. You need to mobilize the Army, Navy, and Special Forces to coordinate an exact time and place for a chance for survival. He then discussed a “vaccine” that can be used at the epigenetic level to activate p53. I am sure that as an oncologist, he knows more deeply than me that doing this is essential. But this is where the two roads diverged. I am an anti-vaxxer ( a label that was and is used to shame us when we bring up the child-hood jab schedule). At this point I don’t really care what they call me.

Phase Four: The Guardian Awakens: TA1 and the p53 Pathway

We don’t need a “vaccine” to activate the p53 pathway and Epigentic Modulation.

Once redox stress is reduced, thanks to TA1’s upregulation of glutathione peroxidase, the cell can accurately sense its internal state. It’s in this moment of clarity that p53, often called the “guardian of the genome,” steps forward. TA1 activates and supports this pivotal tumor suppressor pathway.

Three Crucial Decisions of p53:

A) DNA Repair

• If the damage is minimal and the environment is now stable, p53 recruits DNA repair enzymes to restore integrity.

• This prevents mutations from propagating, halting the progression toward cancer.

B) Cell Cycle Arrest

• If more time is needed for evaluation or repair, p53 pauses the cell cycle.

• This is crucial in preventing cells with damaged DNA from replicating prematurely, which could lead to oncogenesis.

C) Apoptosis (Programmed Cell Death)

• If the cell is too damaged to be saved, p53 initiates apoptosis—a clean, non-inflammatory process of self-destruction.

• This protects the organism by ensuring dysfunctional cells are quietly removed without triggering chaos.

Phase Five Rewriting the Script — TA1 at the Epigenetic Level

Beyond immune activation, redox balancing, and the wisdom of p53, Thymosin Alpha-1 works even deeper—at the epigenetic level.

Epigenetics refers to the biochemical switches that turn genes on or off without changing the underlying DNA sequence. These switches are influenced by methylation patterns, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA activity—all of which are profoundly affected by stress, trauma, toxins, infection, and inflammation.

By modifying these epigenetic “tags,” TA1 helps reset dysfunctional cellular programs—especially those corrupted by chronic inflammation, persistent viral infection, environmental toxins, or cellular trauma.

In the language of terrain medicine:

TA1 doesn’t just clean the river—it rewrites the map.

It helps the cell remember what it was before the damage. It teaches the terrain to speak health again.

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In the same way that trauma, grief, and fear can leave lasting imprints on the soul and psyche, environmental and emotional insults can leave epigenetic scars on our cells. TA1 works as a quiet editor—revising the script, restoring coherence, and reminding the cell of its original design.

Just as I held Sonny in that river, washing away what neither of us chose, TA1 works to wash the cell's terrain—not by erasing the story, but by reclaiming its ending.

We are now up to 12 patients with Turbo-cancer, as I am seeing another consult in a few minutes. I am using the same model of treating cancer at the Metabolic pathway: Restoring the mitochondria, alkalinizing intracellular acidosis, killing cancer cells by optimizing Natural Killer Cells, and in severe cases, I am giving patients either Exsomes Natural Killer Cells or straight live cultured NK cells, up-regulating p53 and influence oncogenes at the epigenetic level.

Justus R. Hope

wrote an exquisite post about the different safe, cheap things that you can take to tackle cancer or even prevent cancer if you are immunocompromised (80 percent of Americans are jabbed). I highly recommend that you should check his last post. I love it because he includes the biochemical pathways to each ingredient. Part of healing is for the patient to understand what they are taking ( Credit to the teaching of my mentor Dr. William Greenough)

Conclusion: Cleansing the Terrain—Then and Now

That day in the refugee camp—standing waist-deep in waste, holding Sonny above my head, covered in the stench of what we had fallen into—marked more than a memory. It marked a wound. The first wound.

It was a trauma of the body, of the soul, and the terrain.

I didn’t know then that I would carry that moment for the rest of my life. I didn’t know that someday I would try to understand the physical terrain we were born into and the cellular terrain we live within. And I didn’t know that I would search for ways to cleanse it one day. I never thought that I would be treating cancer at this late stage in my life.

That moment in the river wasn’t just about survival. It was about cleansing. It was about carrying someone I loved through darkness into the water, not to forget what happened, but to begin healing from it.

Thymosin Alpha-1 does something strikingly similar.

It doesn’t destroy the damaged terrain—it enters it.

It doesn’t force healing—it invites it.

It doesn’t erase what went wrong—it restores what can still go right.

TA1 activates the immune system to recognize what doesn’t belong. It restores redox balance so the cell can see clearly. It turns on p53 to decide whether to repair or release. And at the deepest level, it edits the epigenetic script—giving the cell a chance to remember who it once was before the damage.

Just as I carried Sonny through the filth and into the river, TA1 carries the damaged cell through its confusion and back into coherence.

And just as I washed him—fragile, crying, whispering, “Not strong enough to sit”—I now understand that sometimes, neither are our cells.

But with the right signals…

With the right conditions…

With grace and guidance…

Healing begins. The terrain cleanses. The story changes.

God Bless,

Anthony Phan MD

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