What is dichloroacetate?

dichloroacetate (DCA) is a salt version of dichloroctic acid, a compound sometimes created in the body, because the drugs containing chlorine are decomposed. Tato konkrétní molekula pracuje v těle, aby vypnula působení proteinové pyruvát dehydrogenázy kinázy (PDK). PDK is an enzyme that often occurs in certain cancer cells and changes how these cells are able to use oxygen by closing the usual paths that process this important chemical. V důsledku toho došlo k určitému lékařskému zájmu o použití DCA v boji proti rakovině; Tento lék již zaznamenal použití při léčbě některých metabolických poruch.

abnormal metabolic conditions can include the body and create changed versions of enzymes that usually help it survive. Laktická acidóza je jedna taková porucha, která zahrnuje nadměrné kopie PDK proteinu, což vede k hromadění laktátu. Tím, že dichloroacetát zastaví aktivitu PDKuvate jiným způsobem. Některé výzkumy prokázaly určité důkazy o zmírnění symptomů, když se poIt uses DCA, but other studies suggest that this medicine could be potentially associated with serious side effects such as nerve damage.

Cancer cells can be a possible goal of dichloroacetate in therapy due to the same effect of this enzyme. Through increased activity by PDK, cancer cells can generate their own energy without the use of components called mitochondria. Normal cells do not use the same metabolic pathway to create energy, so theoretically healthy cells would be relatively affected by DCA treatment.

Some studies suggest that dichloroacetate could prove to be effective as cancer therapy, although the research of this topic is still ongoing. One study conducted at the University of Albert has found that this medicine will not damage healthy human cells that have been cultivated, but that several types of cancer cells died after DCA was exposed. ShutdownHy PDK reactivated the mitochondria in these cells and in these cells triggered the self -destruction mechanism.

Limited studies in humans have shown some evidence of the effectiveness of dichloroacetate. Individuals with cancer who used this medicine have sometimes shown reduced tumor size, although there has not been enough research to determine whether DCA extends the life of cancer patients. However, studies have shown that this medicine tends to have minimal side effects for most people who have taken it. Some healthcare professionals warned that more side effects could be manifested because further research of this compound is being carried out and that people who are taking DCA for self -healing for cancer could potentially risk their health.