A Set of Scientific Research Data

that Makes the CCP Tremble in Fear

Background:

Dr. Lili Feng was a professor at Baylor School of Medicine. She was a Falun Dafa practitioner and her death in 2006 soon became another major target of the Chinese Communist Party to defame Falun Dafa, especially among the scientists in the life science field. The propaganda media even openly stated that her death was caused by Dr. Lili Feng's "blind faith" towards Falun Dafa. Those who worked with her or knew her through reading her articles or listening to her public speeches have been puzzled and hope to learn the real cause of her physical death.

The Whole Elephant Institute will provide an in-depth analysis of this case in the near future.

It is clear that what Dr. Lili Feng initiated in researching into the profound changes that can be detected at the molecular level among the Falun Dafa practitioners has stirred up fear among those who have been trying to use the name of "science" to defame Falun Dafa. Persecution towards those who are involved in this study is evident by the case of Dr. Tongwen Wang

(http://www.thewholeelephant.info/Persecution-in-America.html)

As the introduction of the case of Dr. Lili Feng, the Whole Elephant Institute is now presenting these data to the general public.

(The data has been presented in Chinese at:

http://www.thewholeelephant.info/-e4-b8-ad-e5-85-b1-e6-81-90-e6-83-a7-e7-9a-84-e7-a.html)

Legends for the Figures:

Figure 1. Comparison of the ability of a type of white blood cell, called PMN, of two groups of people, in killing bacteria, in an experimental setting. The two groups of people are: six people do not practice Falun Dafa (Ctrl) and six people who practice Falun Dafa (FLG). The bacteria was mixed with the PMN cells in different ratios, as indicated (such as 1:1; 0.6:1 and 0.3:1), and the ability of the PMN in killing bacteria was plotted at the Y axis, which indicated to be "Percent of killing", which means the percentage of bacteria killed in the experimental setting.

You shall be able to draw your own conclusions after reviewing the data: Falun Dafa practitioners' PMNs exhibit greatly increased ability in killing bacteria, under all tested conditions.

This serves as part of the explanation, at the cellular level, for enhanced immunity observed among Falun Dafa practitioners.

Figure 2. The death rate of the PMN cells from these two groups of people were measured along a time line (0 to 24 hours), by measuring the light absorbance of the tested cells (the increase in absorbance is an indication in an increased apoptotic cell death). LPS is a small molecule that is found on bateria and can trigger the activation of PMN. FLG: Falun Dafa practitioners' PMN cells; Ctrl: the PMNs of those who did not practice Falun Dafa (age and gender matched).

In the presence of LPS, the PMNs of the Falun Dafa practitioners undergo increased apoptotic cell death, while in the absence of LPS, the PMNs of the Falun Dafa practitioners exhibited minimal apoptotic cell death.

That is to say, when there is no ememy, the PMN cells of Falun Dafa practitioners do not die; while upon the signal of the enemy, the PMN cells of Falun Dafa practitioners undergo rapid proprammed cell death (of course, after the killing of the bacteria), to minimize the risk of autoimmunity.

This could serve as the cellular level explanation for the well-reported cases of many Falun Dafa practitioners who recover from autoimmune diseases after practicing Falun Dafa. Among such diseases are: Asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis; Diabetes, Scleroderma and Neurodegenerative Diseases. 

Figure 3. Photos of the PMN cells of Falun Dafa practitioners (FLG) and the healthy control group (Ctrl), 16 hours after being isolated from the body, in the presence or absence of LPS.

This Figure provides you with a more direct appreciation of how the PMN cells look like under these tested conditions. The result is the same as what was detected in Figure 2.

Figure 4. The PMN cells from both groups were subjected to a molecular level analysis, called Microarray Technology, which allows scientists to test the difference of the two groups at the mRNA level. The mRNA level is a measure of how active a genetic information at the DNA level is being expressed into protein level, which are the direct players of life activities of the cells. The synthesis of mRNA is followed by the making of a corresponding protein. In this study, the PMN cells of both groups were broken open and the mRNA molecules were purified, and then put onto two small chips, respectively, to allow a process of recognizing the coresponding mRNAs on the chips. The brighter the signals, the more mRNA it indicates. The amount of each mRNAs in each group of cells can be measured through the signals on the Chips, which can be scanned and quantified. 132 mRNAs were found to be consistently decreased among all tested Falun Dafa practitioners; 118 mRNAs were found to be consistantly increased among all tested Falun Dafa practitioners.

Figure 5. This figure summarizes the set of mRNAs which encode proteins known to play key roles in combating viruses. INF-gamma is a key player in immunity towards virus. The following mRNAs were identified to be consistently increased, among Falun Dafa practitioners: psK1 (also known as IFN-gamma receptor accessaory factor-1 (about 10 fold increase); Oligoadenylate synthetase (2.5 fold increase); IFN-gama (2.5 fold increase); IFN regulatory factor 7B (about six fold increase). The mRNA signals' increase of these molecules indicate a greatly increased function of IFN-gamma. Interestingly, the only detected mRNA whose level was consistently decreased among all tested Falun Dafa practitioners, is a molecule called Sarcolectin (an inhibitor of IFN-gamma, decreased about 4 fold). It is an inhibitor of IFN-gamma function. Together, it is safe to conclude that the IFN-gamma function of Falun Dafa practitioners' PMN is greatly increased. Such a proposed outcome based upon the change of mRNA level shall be validated by experiments at the protein level as well as validated by functional studies of the IFN-gamma associated functions. In the same Figure, there are two other molecules, I-309 and alpha-defensin, whose mRNA levels were also found to be consistently increased among the tested Falun Dafa practitioners. Alpha-defensin has been shown to be able to protect the T cells from being killed by the HIV viruses, therefore its increased level at mRNA level is suggesting an increase in its protein level, which would suggest that the immune system of Falun Dafa practitioners, after returning to the original true nature, is not susceptable to the attack of HIV viruses.

Figure 6. In this Figure, a set of six mRNAs were reported to have exhibited consistent increase or decrease among Falun Dafa practitioners. They are grouped together in this Figure since they are all functionally linked to the cell function of apoptotic cell death. It would be important to further understand how such coordinated mRNA level changes among Falun Dafa practitioners could lead to the changes of the apoptotic cell death behaviors of PMN cells in the presence and absence of LPS.

Figure 7. In this Figure, a large group of mRNAs which encode proteins involved in cellular stress responses are presented. It is apparent to any one that all but two mRNAs were shown to be consistently reduced in the PMN cells of the tested Falun Dafa practitioners. Two heart shock proteins who might contain important protective roles as well as repair functions for proteins under stress are shown to be consistently increased in PMN cells of Falun Dafa practitioners.

This set of data suggested to me that the PMN cells of Falun Dafa practitioners have much reduced stress responses. Of course, mind and body is truly ONE.

Figure 8. This Figure shows at the top panel a large list of mRNAs which encode proteins function in the ribosome, where proteins are made. These mRNAs are consistently decreased (except the mRNA for ribosomal protein L35) among the tested Falun Dafa practitioners' PMN cells. At the bottom panel, a large list of mRNAs which encode proteins function in the proteasome, where proteins are normally chopped into pieces. These mRNAs are consistently decreased (except the mRNA for a ring finger protein called TRIM-containing Ring Finger protein) among the tested Falun Dafa practitioners. Some of the decrease is very drastic, reaching almost 20 fold. Such a huge change! These data speak very clearly that Falun Dafa practitioners' ribosome system and proteasome system in PMN cells are all subjected to reduction, in a coordinated fashion, quite drastically. This phenomenon provides the molecular manifestation of a cultivation practice which can drastically reduce cellular metabolic state. I do not think there is any other practice that has been shown to exhibit such a major reduction in the metabolic state of the cell, even to the extent to down-play the entire metabolic system. If anyone wishes to challenge this statement, comparative studies shall be carried out.

Figure 9. This Figure has employed the use of a different technology in confirming the results detected by the Microarray study shown between Figure 4-8. The levels of mRNA of I-309 and alpha-defensin were directly tested on a Gel setting. It is apparent to even naked eyes that the signals for the two mRNAs are greatly and consistently incrased in the tested Falun Dafa practitioners' PMN cells.

Figure 10. An illustation of a model proposed by Dr. Lili Feng regarding the possible functional changes of the PMN cells of Falun Dafa practitioners: a new type of balance of immune activation and immune suppression, under the state of hypo-metabolism.