The immune cycle is a natural homeostatic oscillation of the immune system when chronic inflammation is occurring. Similar to the menstrual cycle, the exact wavelength and waveform of each particular individual patient is different.  That is, different people have different immune cycles although each cycle is typically repeated every seven days.

C-reactive protein levels in the blood need to be measured every few days in order to have enough time points to show a repeating fluctuation (a wave-like cycle). This is caused by the synchronous division of T cells over time, with T-effector cells boosting immune activity followed by T-regulatory cells suppressing the immune response.

Although the exact reason for the immune cycle is not yet clear, it appears to be a result of repeating and alternating stimulation and inhibition of the immune response, which has been demonstrated to exist in cancer patients. Many cycles occur in the body - like temperature regulation and hormone levels - and the exact cause for these cycles is also unknown, but it is thought to involve the hypothalamus.

The process used to identify this cycle is called 'immune cycle mapping', while the process that uses this cycle in treatment is called 'immune synchronisation'. It is important to note that the immune cycle and immune synchronisation still require a lot more testing before treatment methods can become viable because the research is still in its early stages.

History                                                                                                       

The idea of an immune cycle has existed for well over a hundred years. In 1891, Dr William Coley noticed that some of his patients responded better to treatment than other patients, even with complete responses. Almost a century later, in 1975, physicist George Irving Bell developed a mathematical equation to predict a hypothetical immune cycle. Dr Robert North, writing in the 1980s, demonstrated that chemotherapy encouraged the growth of tumors in mice, whose immune systems are very similar to humans. Unfortunately, these pioneers of the immune cycle were unable to establish its existence, particularly since the necessary technology had not yet come into existence.

Current scientific status

In 2010, Professor Michael Quinn from the Royal Melbourne Hospital announced that trials would be conducted on women suffering from ovarian cancer. Dr Roxana S. Dronca  from the Mayo Clinic found that the immune cycle is also evident in fluctuations beyond C-reactive protein, as it can be seen in "infradian immune biorhythms of both immune cell subpopulations and cytokines." Speaking to the Daily Express newspaper in the UK, Quinn said, Everyone, including non-cancer patients, has an immune cycle which fluctuates every 12 to 14 days. That’s why if someone in the family comes in with a cough or cold, only some members of the family will develop it. The immune system also attacks cancer cells, which is why we need to give chemotherapy on the right day. The concept is sensational. If you can treat people at the right time it could dramatically improve their chance of a successful outcome. The research is still in its early stages, however if we are proved right this method of treatment could be applied to all cancers and in fact all diseases." Quinn, 7 March 2010.

However, in 2014, Dr Mutsa Madondo was unable to replicate the results of the 2009 Coventry  paper. He discovered that the statistical analysis used showed no evidence of periodic oscillation. In 2015, Coventry - in a team that included Professor Maciej Henneberg - argued that cancer had become highly developed over time and could counter mainstream cancer treatments by manipulating the immune cycleImmunotherapy: Open Access   is an open access rapid peer reviewed journal in the field of treatment procedures. Journal announces papers for the upcoming issue. Interested can submit their manuscript through online portal.

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