METHYLENE BLUE in PROSTATE CANCER (androgen-dependent and androgen-independent)
William Makis MD:
A few years ago there was an abstract presentation at the 2019 AACR Annual Meeting – American Association for Cancer Research
Shanti et al, looked at Methylene Blue in Prostate Cancer.
Highlights:
Methylene Blue effectively reduced the viability of androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and androgen-independent (PC3 and DU145) Prostate Cancer cells
Methylene Blue inhibited the colony forming ability of Prostate Cancer cells in-vitro suggesting its tumor suppressive potential
Methylene Blue treatment disrupted the migration potential of Prostate Cancer cells in a wound healing assay indicating the anti-metastatic function of MB
Methylene Blue effectively targeted the Prostate Cancer cell lines by inducing apoptotic cell death
Key apoptotic molecules such as Bax, TRAIL R2/D5, and phospho p53 (Serine 15, Serine 46, Serine 392) were robustly upregulated in androgen-dependent LNCaP cells following MB treatment.
“In conclusion, our findings suggest that MB induces apoptosis in Prostate Cancer cells and thus could serve as a potential anticancer agent for treating both hormone-dependent and -independent Prostate Cancer”
My Take….
This is a special “Methylene Blue in Cancer” week in my newsletter, where I will explore the various research that has been done in the past few years and I will propose a Methylene Blue dosing plan by next weekend.
Although this was an abstract presentation, it was nonetheless a very interesting one.
We are still learning about the mechanisms of action of methylene blue on cancer cells but as we’ve seen with Ivermectin and Fenbendazole, it appears that numerous mechanisms are in play.
Brand new Research hit recently on repurposing Methylene blue for Cancer Therapy.
William Makis MD:
“2024 Moreira – Methylene Blue Metabolic Therapy Restrains In Vivo Ovarian Tumor Growth”
“Ovarian cancer remains a significant challenge, especially in platinum-resistant cases where treatment options are limited.”
“In this study, we investigated the potential of methylene blue (MB) as a metabolic therapy and complementary treatment approach for ovarian cancer”
Methylene blue (MB), a well-known dye agent, has shown promising effects in stimulating mitochondrial electron transfer chain and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), leading to increased mitochondrial respiration and ATP production
MB has also been reported to have direct effects on cell and mitochondrial metabolism
Methylene blue metabolic therapy exerted a strong inhibitory effect on the proliferation of the TOV112D ovarian cancer cell line, where the cell proliferation reached 16% of the control
addition of carboplatin to MB-50 exhibited a slight impact on TOV112D proliferation compared to MB-50 alone, but this effect was not significant (adding chemo to methylene blue makes little difference)
DISCUSSION:
The anticancer effect of methylene blue has been known for over a century.In 1893, Louis Rambaud published data on a series of end-stage patients who responded to a high-dose treatment of methylene blue. This was confirmed by Pursell in cancer treatments on dogs
The results presented in this study demonstrate the potential of methylene blue (MB) metabolic therapy as an effective treatment approach for ovarian cancer
“stronger reduction in proliferation observed in TOV112D (platinum resistant cancer) cells compared to ARPE-19 (normal ovarian) cells in response to the MB-50 treatment highlights the potential of methylene blue as a therapeutic agent that specifically targets ovarian cancer cells”
“addition of carboplatin to MB-50 exhibited a slight impact on the TOV112D proliferation compared to MB-50 alone, suggesting a potential additive effect of carboplatin in combination with methylene blue, albeit to a limited extent.”
modest enhancement of the in vivo tumor response observed to the combination of MB and carboplatin (MB + carboplatin) raises the possibility of a synergistic effect between methylene blue and carboplatin
“it would be highly relevant to identify the metabolic pathways as well as the signaling pathways involved in the inhibition of cancer cell growth by methylene blue”
“In conclusion, this study provides crucial insights into the potential of methylene blue-guided metabolic therapy for treating ovarian cancer. The results underscore the promise of metabolic therapy in reducing tumor growth by addressing the mitochondria redox potential, akin to its role as an oxidative agent in bacterial diseases. However, there is a pressing need for further investigations into the specific impact of methylene blue on apoptotic signaling and metabolic pathways within cancer cells. These molecular mechanisms must be thoroughly elucidated to optimize the application of metabolic therapy and enhance the treatment outcomes, particularly in the context of chemoresistant ovarian cancers.
My Take…
I will be writing a series of articles on Methylene Blue and Cancer over the coming days.
In this paper, methylene blue had a dramatic effect on ovarian cancer cell proliferation, oxygen consumption rate in tumor cells and on tumor growth.
However, the pathways are unknown.
Interestingly, while MB slowed the tumor growth rate significantly (much better than chemo), it didn’t stop the tumor growth.
The authors admit they don’t really know exactly how methylene blue works against ovarian cancer.
[Via: makismd.substack.com]