Orange Light Plus β-Lapachone Derivative As Possible Skin Cancer Treatment

[aguilaroja]

This is an early, not definitive study. It is more a demonstration of concept. It is only suggestive.
Dr. Peat has mentioned the restorative properties of the red light wavelengths. Dr. Peat has also mentioned benefits, in particular circumstances, of anthraquinones including emodin and beta-lapachone.

@haidut has posted about these topics. He has also discussed photodynamic therapy, for instance in combination with methylene blue.

This study used a β-Lapachone derivative in combination with narrow wavelength orange-ish (635 nm) light. The combination augmented the activity of an anti-melanoma tumor agent, NQO1 [NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase 1]. It was done in vitro, using cell cultures.

This suggests another possible synergy between light (maybe the orange/red wavelengths?) and a restorative substance. The usual current pharmaceutical/chemotherapy treatments for widespread melanoma in particular have poor effectiveness, with various side effects. Light wavelengths penetrate skin layers, and β-Lapachone substances may be delivered topically.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332218359808?via=ihub
NQO1 induction mediated by photodynamic therapy synergizes with β-Lapachone-halogenated derivative against melanoma. - PubMed - NCBI
"In addition, this combinatorial approach expands the limits of individual therapies, increasing the therapeutic possibilities against melanoma. On the basis of our exploratory data, PDT followed by low doses of PFB therapy should be both antitumor effective and extremely safe, not accompanied with normal tissue toxicity."

"...NQO1 catalyzes two-electrons reduction of β-Lapachone (β-Lap), a compound extracted from Lapacho trees, using either NADH or NAD(P)H as electron donor. The resultant hydroquinone is unstable and oxidized to the original form of β-Lap resulting in a futile cycling. The subsequent depletion of NADH or NAD(P)H together with oxidative stress trigger signal transduction for cell death. Therefore, the cytotoxicity of β-Lap is closely related to constitutive NQO1 expression to selective target tumor cells."

 

[haidut]

This is an early, not definitive study. It is more a demonstration of concept. It is only suggestive.
Dr. Peat has mentioned the restorative properties of the red light wavelengths. Dr. Peat has also mentioned benefits, in particular circumstances, of anthraquinones including emodin and beta-lapachone.

@haidut has posted about these topics. He has also discussed photodynamic therapy, for instance in combination with methylene blue.

This study used a β-Lapachone derivative in combination with narrow wavelength orange-ish (635 nm) light. The combination augmented the activity of an anti-melanoma tumor agent, NQO1 [NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase 1]. It was done in vitro, using cell cultures.

This suggests another possible synergy between light (maybe the orange/red wavelengths?) and a restorative substance. The usual current pharmaceutical/chemotherapy treatments for widespread melanoma in particular have poor effectiveness, with various side effects. Light wavelengths penetrate skin layers, and β-Lapachone substances may be delivered topically.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332218359808?via=ihub
NQO1 induction mediated by photodynamic therapy synergizes with β-Lapachone-halogenated derivative against melanoma. - PubMed - NCBI
"In addition, this combinatorial approach expands the limits of individual therapies, increasing the therapeutic possibilities against melanoma. On the basis of our exploratory data, PDT followed by low doses of PFB therapy should be both antitumor effective and extremely safe, not accompanied with normal tissue toxicity."

"...NQO1 catalyzes two-electrons reduction of β-Lapachone (β-Lap), a compound extracted from Lapacho trees, using either NADH or NAD(P)H as electron donor. The resultant hydroquinone is unstable and oxidized to the original form of β-Lap resulting in a futile cycling. The subsequent depletion of NADH or NAD(P)H together with oxidative stress trigger signal transduction for cell death. Therefore, the cytotoxicity of β-Lap is closely related to constitutive NQO1 expression to selective target tumor cells."

Thanks!
That's a great study and another confirmation that in addition to MB, probably any quinone such as emodin, b-lapachone, or even riboflavin (B2) in higher doses combined with bright light could have powerful anti-cancer effects without many of the risks of traditional chemotherapy.
As I mentioned in another thread, an alternative to this therapy but WITHOUT light exposure is the combination of vitamin C and a quinone as done in the patented cancer drug Apatone. The oxidized form of vitamin C gets preferentially absorbed by cancer cells and generates ROS inside them without harming other tissues.

 

[Lee Simeon]

@haidut Have you read "The death of expertise" by Jonathan Haidt? He talks about Vitamin C as cancer therapy and Linus Pauling in one of the chapters. It seems that Apatone has had a lot of postive results, but when people talk about Vitamin C and cancer in the same conversation a lot of people seem to cringe.

 

[haidut]

@haidut Have you read "The death of expertise" by Jonathan Haidt? He talks about Vitamin C as cancer therapy and Linus Pauling in one of the chapters. It seems that Apatone has had a lot of postive results, but when people talk about Vitamin C and cancer in the same conversation a lot of people seem to cringe.

I think its effects depend on the oxidative state of the organism. When Pauling was doing therapy with it he was just giving very high doses of only vitamin C through IV. In a person with advanced cancer the metabolic state is already shifted heavily towards reduction, so vitamin C (as an antioxidant) may make it worse, while simultaneously not much will convert to dehydroascorbic acid and affect the cancer. By combining it with a quinone, I think much lower doses would do the trick and avoid many of the risks Pauling ran into that gave the therapy a bad name. In fact, it can probably even be used orally and still be very effective, thus avoiding the need for a parasitic industry that will invariably form around the "proprietary vitamin C infusion protocols" after Apatone or another vitamin C therapy go mainstream.
Btw, the industry is using the bad name the therapy got in order to quietly run trials without the public screaming "Pauling for President!" and eventually when the therapy gets approved you can be sure his name will never be mentioned and it will be presented as breakthrough "discovery".
Vitamin C May Treat Cancer
Linus Pauling May Have Been Vindicated - Vitamin C May Treat Cancer
High-dose Vitamin C Is Making A Comeback As A Treatment For Cancer

 

[aguilaroja]

@haidut Have you read "The death of expertise" by Jonathan Haidt? He talks about Vitamin C as cancer therapy and Linus Pauling in one of the chapters.

I think the book being referred to is Tom Nichols's book "The Death of Expertise". The four pages about Pauling there seem like a condensed version of the reference listed, a chapter/article by Paul Offit, M.D., the prominent vaccinologist. It is not very meticulous for a professor and avowed academic to write make sweeping conclusions in a book about "Expertise" based on a single reference.

Pauling, like any scientist exploring many domains, was not necessarily accurate about everything. If Pauling's work on helical shape in DNA had been a bit faster, he might have won three Nobel prizes, instead of "only" two. AFAIK, Pauling was essentially an influencer rather than clinician. He certainly revived interest in nutrients having therapeutic effects.

 

[Lee Simeon]

Oh yeah you are completely correct about Tom Nichols, somehow mixed them up. While he does has some very good points in the book, I thought the case against Pauling was a little weak, but I dont think it was the focus of the book, so I did not give it much thought.