Oral or percutaneous administration of lipopolysaccharide of small molecular size may cure various intractable diseases: a new version of Coley's toxin.

Based on our new finding that an inflammation in which tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is primed or triggered (ontogenic inflammation) can regulate the homeostasis in ontogenesis, we have identified a new lipopolysaccharide from wheat flour (LPSw) that can induce ontogenic inflammation in adult mice. LPSw can prime adult mice to produce TNF when given orally or percutaneously, suggesting that it may maintain homeostasis in adults. LPSw can cure experimental animals of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, ulcer, and herpes. It can also stimulate bone resorption and egg-laying, and shows a strong analgesic effect that is blocked by naloxone. This effect even allows a release from drug addiction. Suppression of serum cholesterol level by oral uptake of LPSw in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit was also observed. Infection of toxoplasma was prevented by oral uptake of LPSw. The realization that a single oral or percutaneous administration of LPSw may be a cure for multiple intractable diseases may lead to the presentation of a nontoxic type of Coley's toxin, which is known to be an efficient cancer treatment, but has high toxicity.