Background

Impressive advances have been achieved in the physical, chemical and biological techniques dedicated to the exploration of the living as well as in the knowledge of the mechanisms of diseases. Research has moved deeper and deeper in the understanding of the human body: from the whole organism to organs; organs to tissues; tissues to cells; the cell to its components; down to the smallest possible bit of information, the gene. A lot of hopes are being built and billions of dollars are being spent to develop a gene therapy which would fix all the pathologies. Results so far have been very limited.

This analytical approach was applied to infectious diseases a few decades ago; the germ was found and we thought we needed only the proper antibiotics to neutralize the germ and eliminate the pathology. We know what happened: the disease was cured, but it led to relapses, germs started building their own defense system against antibiotics, and we can now notice a resumption of known infectious diseases, once considered as eliminated, such as tuberculosis, or the emergence of new ones such as SARS or the avian influenza.

The same situation occurred with cancer. The discoveries of molecules which could inhibit the development of some cancers, by locking some mechanisms of cells’ reproduction, led many to believe that the pathology could be eliminated in a few decades. Reality is different: if the survival rate has improved, but not as much as expected, the number of relapses or metastastic extensions is growing and the number of new cancers is surging to the point where it is forecasted that one out three children born after 2000 will suffer a cancer during his life.

Where is the issue? The issue is that we focus too much on the bits and pieces of the pathology, usually on the aggressor (e.g., a germ) and the visible symptoms of the pathology, and not on the global system of the patient, a fairly complex mechanism, where all elements are interlinked. A pathology is the consequence of the inability of the body to maintain a balanced system, where each component plays its role, under the control of the organism regulatory systems, within well defined rules. It is rarely the direct result of an external aggression, physical trauma or invasive contagion. It is usually our own body that creates the conditions for the pathology set up with the aggressor playing only a triggering role.

A new approach to medicine

Endobiogénie is a new approach to medicine designed by two French general practitioners, C. Duraffourd, M.D. and J. C. Lapraz, M.D, with over 30 years of experience, including 8 years as oncobiologists in the Department of General Surgery and Oncology of a Paris hospital. It focuses on the “terrain” of the patient, which is the functional expression of the capacities of the human being, built from genetic inheritance and from the reaction of the body to daily events, whether they are internal (e.g. stress, emotion,…) or external (e.g. physical aggression, virus, nutrition, medication,...). A permanent equilibrium through these continuous transformations is made possible through a system which can manage itself and all metabolic and relational functions of the individual. Only one system can answer this requirement; it is the endocrine system which secures a balance between the activities of each cell and each organ, with respect to the inside as well as to the outside, along the principle of homeostasis (maintenance of physiological parameters in balance).

This system is permanently interlinked with all elements of the body (systems or organs) and has the ability to direct their reaction. Therefore, it is mandatory to always include both  the pathology and the body in the therapy:
- understand which elements of the body were involved in the genesis of the pathology and why the body gave up fighting;
- understand the state of the body at time of the pathology break out and the
consequences of a coexistence with the pathology;
- design the therapy for both the body and the pathology and understand the impact on their relationship.

This approach represents an expanded view of the mechanisms of the endocrine system in its managing role over metabolisms and functions, and leads to a new approach in the understanding of the genesis of pathologies and of the use of therapeutics, in terms of:
- what is a state of good health for an individual;
- how the pathology translates into its physiological components;
- what therapy is needed to restore equilibrium.

The diagnostic process
        
The diagnostic process is aimed at identifying the root causes of a pathology instead of relying only on its symptoms. It runs on a detailed analysis of the patient’s medical and personal history, along with a thorough clinical examination, linking clinical signs with overall physiology (e.g. palpable liver congestion associated with a pharyngitis will imply a hyperfunctioning parasympathetic nervous system). The goal is to understand which elements of the body were involved in the genesis of the pathology and which elements are involved in the fight against the pathology. The outcome is a global diagnostic individualized for each patient.

The diagnostic is supported by regular complementary analysis (e.g. blood panel, radiological panels such as X rays, scanning tools, …) and by a computer model, called “Biology of Functions,” measuring over 150 indexes, linking conventional biological data, generated from a regular blood analysis.  The indexes cover the entire body system, whether they refer to endocrine glands, organs or others. They are direct or composite ratios, which highlight the biological imbalances hidden behind the symptoms of a pathology or behind a seemingly normal state of health. The outcome is a unique physiological profile created for each patient, which can be tracked over time.

The prescription

The prescription must be personalized; it cannot be standard, since the configuration of the terrain is unique to each individual:
- it is specifically targeted to each patient and aims to correct the dysfunctions identified in the diagnostic process.
- it is targeted to treat the patient in its entirety rather than just eliminating the symptoms. It covers a wide array of parameters, which may include a change in nutrition habits, if needed.
- it is aimed at establishing a real partnership between patient and doctor. The doctor’s mission is to identify the dysfunctions of the terrain and to help the body, through the prescription, to do its job. It is essential that the mind of the patient is set properly to help his body, in order to take the appropriate actions under his control. This means patient participation in the diagnostic process
is crucial in order to understand the parameters which contribute to the maintenance of his pathology as highlighted by his Biology of Functions.

The tracking system

The objective of the Biology of Functions is to provide a biological tool to track the effectiveness of a therapy, whether it is a conventional drug therapy or whether it is a therapy associated with complementary and alternative medicine. It is a fairly sensitive tool, which explains not only how the pathology has moved in the past, but also its potential evolution in the future, and consequently which parameters need to be acted upon to modify the course of the pathology.

The prevention

The dream of each doctor is to meet his/her patient before the pathology occurs rather than after. In business terms, it means improving the quality of the health process by anticipating the conditions of a pathology wherever possible.

Understanding the parameters of a pathology, customized to an individual through the Biology of Functions, opens a significant opportunity for real preventive medicine, by tuning the parameters at risk. This is true for whichever pathology, even for degenerative pathologies like cancers, which mature for a number of years before symptoms are visible, leaving a chance to correct potential dysfunctions and reduce the overall risk.

The therapy

The objective of the therapy is to support the body and not to substitute it, which is usually the route chosen by chemical drugs. It will be aimed at correcting the dysfunctions of the individual’s terrain, which allowed the pathology to emerge. Depending on the situation, it will stimulate or inhibit the abnormal physiological elements which have been identified. The ultimate goal is to get the best possible contribution of the body, by taking into account the endocrine system, and the other systems and organs implied in the genesis of the pathology and its maintenance.

In order to achieve this objective, the endobiogenic treatment will use mainly global extracts of medicinal plants. The therapy will combine plants of complementary activity to induce the desired actions, targeted to specific functions or organs, in doses weak enough to avoid uncontrollable side effects and to secure the acceptance by the body through gradual changes. This therapy covers a very large majority of pathologies, even some critical ones, which can be better treated with products less pharmacologically active than chemical drugs. However, if the power of the aggression outweighs the potential reaction of the body or if the medication fix takes too long, and consequently the life of an organ or the life of the organism are endangered, the substitution therapy will prevail, even if side effects can cause damage. In this case, the endobiogenic treatment will be complementary therapy to reduce or eliminate the side effects of the medication, while treating the root causes of the pathology.