Can Sodium Dichloroacetate be a Potential Treatment for Cancer and Vascular Dementia?

Sodium Dichloroacetate (DCA) is a promising compound with potential antineoplastic activity. By inhibiting pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, DCA inhibits glycolysis and reduces lactate production, potentially stimulating apoptosis in cancer cells. Additionally, DCA has shown vasoprotective effects and promotes brain regeneration after cerebral ischemia, suggesting a potential role in treating vascular dementia.

Studies have also demonstrated the therapeutic effects of DCA on vascular dementia and endothelial progenitor cell-mediated angiogenesis. Prolonged administration of DCA may be beneficial in treating vascular dementia.

Furthermore, DCA has been investigated as a metabolic therapy for various cancers. It has shown efficacy in treating lung, breast, and brain cancers by inhibiting mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase. Previous studies have established the safety profile of oral DCA in humans, with reversible peripheral neuropathy and delirium being the most common side effects. DCA has shown potential usefulness in cancer clinical trials, but long-term maintenance of stable disease has not been extensively studied in humans.

Overall, the potential of sodium dichloroacetate as a treatment for cancer and vascular dementia warrants further investigation and clinical trials.

References

[1] https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Sodium-dichloroacetate
[2] Hong, D. K., Kho, A. R., Choi, B. Y., Lee, S. H., Jeong, J. H., Lee, S. H., et al. (2018). Combined treatment with dichloroacetic acid and pyruvate reduces hippocampal neuronal death after transient cerebral ischemia. Front. Neurol. 9:137. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00137
[3] Hui Zhao, Junqin Mao, Yuan Yuan, Jingjing Feng, Hao Cheng, Guorong Fan, Yuefan Zhang and Tiejun Li, Sodium Dichloroacetate Stimulates Angiogenesis by Improving Endothelial Precursor Cell Function in an AKT/GSK-3β/Nrf2 Dependent Pathway in Vascular Dementia Rats, Front. Pharmacol., 17 May 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2019.00523
[4] Akbar Khan, Douglas Andrews, Anneke C Blackburn, Long-term stabilization of stage 4 colon cancer using sodium dichloroacetate therapy, World J Clin Cases 2016 October 16; 4(10): 336-343