Methylene blue / OCR Cancer Research Results

M-Blu, Methylene blue: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Methylene blue (MB), also known as methylthioninium chloride, is a thiazine dye that can be used as a medication, and can be administered orally, subcutaneously or intravenously.
Mainly used to treat methemoglobinemia by chemically reducing the ferric iron in hemoglobin to ferrous iron
Methylene blue is commonly used in medical practice, especially as a dye in microbiological staining
Antidote in cyanide poisoning: an oxidation-reduction indicator: an antiseptic

Pathways:
- may increases the oxygen consumption of normal tissues having aerobic glycolysis, and of tumors
- generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon light activation
-effects on mitochondrial metabolism may contribute to modulation of apoptosis and energy metabolism in cancer cells.
-can affect the generation of reactive oxygen species.
-Historically, it was used in patients with urinary tract infection
-MB has also been used as a tracer for cancer diagnosis and as a photosensitizer for cancer treatment
-shifts redox balance and can promote OXPHOS over glycolysis in some models(reverse Warburg effect)
-can cross BBB and reach brain at concentrations 10 times higher than that in the circulation
-causes shift from shift from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation.
-reduces glutathione reductase GSR (an enzyme of glutathione metabolism), context- and concentration-dependent

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer / Tumor Context Normal Tissue Context TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 Mitochondrial redox cycling (electron shuttle) Redox modulation; NADH oxidation ↑ (context) Mitochondrial efficiency ↑ at low doses (reported) P, R Bioenergetic modulation MB can accept electrons from NADH and donate downstream in the ETC; effects are dose-dependent and context-specific.
2 OXPHOS vs glycolysis balance Shift toward oxidative metabolism reported in some tumor models Improved mitochondrial coupling (low dose) R Metabolic reprogramming Sometimes described as “Warburg reversal,” but more accurately a redox/respiratory modulation that varies by system.
3 ROS modulation (biphasic) ROS ↑ at higher doses; apoptosis ↑ (reported) ROS ↓ or stabilized at lower doses P, R Redox destabilization (dose-dependent) Acts antioxidant at low concentrations; can become pro-oxidant as concentration increases.
4 Mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) ΔΨm collapse at higher doses (reported) Stabilization possible at low doses R Mitochondrial stress High-dose exposure can impair mitochondrial integrity and promote apoptosis.
5 Intrinsic apoptosis signaling Caspases ↑; apoptosis ↑ (reported in vitro) ↔ G Cell death execution Generally downstream of ROS and mitochondrial perturbation.
6 Photodynamic ROS generation (light-activated) ROS ↑↑ when photoactivated Localized ROS if illuminated P Photoactivated cytotoxicity Distinct mechanism: MB acts as a photosensitizer under light exposure.
7 Glutathione system modulation (GSR / redox enzymes) Redox enzyme modulation reported (model-dependent) Redox buffering alteration possible R Redox regulation Some reports show interaction with glutathione metabolism; not a dominant universal pathway.
8 Blood–brain barrier penetration — CNS accumulation (high tissue levels) P, R Pharmacokinetic property MB crosses the BBB and can accumulate in brain tissue at higher concentrations than plasma.
9 Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition — MAO-A inhibition (clinically relevant) R Off-target pharmacology Important interaction risk with SSRIs/SNRIs (serotonin syndrome).
10 Safety constraints (G6PD deficiency; serotonin syndrome) — Hemolysis risk (G6PD); serotonin toxicity risk — Clinical risk management Well-established safety considerations in clinical use.

Time-Scale Flag (TSF): P / R / G

  • P: 0–30 min (rapid redox cycling; photoactivation)
  • R: 30 min–3 hr (mitochondrial and redox signaling shifts)
  • G: >3 hr (apoptosis/autophagy outcomes)
OCR, Oxygen consumption rate: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
Oxygen consumption rate (OCR) is a measure of the rate at which cells consume oxygen, and it has been found to be altered in cancer cells. Cancer cells often exhibit increased glycolysis, a process in which glucose is converted into energy without the use of oxygen, even in the presence of oxygen. This is known as the Warburg effect.
Cancer cells often exhibit increased glycolysis, which leads to a decrease in OCR.
-When mitochondrial function is impaired (resulting in lower OCR), cells may compensate by upregulating glycolysis to meet their energy needs (known as the Pasteur effect).
-Instruments such as the Seahorse Analyzer allow simultaneous measurement of OCR (reflecting mitochondrial respiration) and Extracellular Acidification Rate (ECAR, which is commonly used as a proxy for glycolysis). This dual measurement helps researchers understand how shifts in one pathway correlate with compensatory changes in the other.
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2540- M-Blu,    Alternative mitochondrial electron transfer for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and cancers: Methylene blue connects the dots
- Review, Var, NA - Review, AD, NA
*OCR↑, *Glycolysis↓, *GlucoseCon↑, neuroP↑, Warburg↓, mt-OXPHOS↑, TumCCA↑, TumCP↓, ROS⇅, *cognitive↑, *mTOR↓, *mt-antiOx↑, *memory↑, *BBB↑, *eff↝, *ECAR↓, eff↑, lactateProd↓, NADPH↓, OXPHOS↑, AMPK↑, selectivity↑,
2541- M-Blu,    Spectroscopic Study of Methylene Blue Interaction with Coenzymes and its Effect on Tumor Metabolism
- in-vivo, Var, NA
TumCG↓, Glycolysis↓, OXPHOS↑, ROS↑, OCR↑, GlucoseCon↑, lactateProd↓,
2542- M-Blu,    In Vitro Methylene Blue and Carboplatin Combination Triggers Ovarian Cancer Cells Death
- in-vitro, Ovarian, OV1369 - in-vitro, Ovarian, OV1946 - in-vitro, Nor, ARPE-19
BioAv↝, TumCP↓, GlutaM↓, Warburg↓, OCR↑, Glycolysis↓, ATP↓, BioAv↝, ROS↑,
2543- M-Blu,    The use of methylene blue to control the tumor oxygenation level
- in-vivo, Lung, NA
OCR↑, OXPHOS↑, Half-Life↝, AntiTum↑,
2545- M-Blu,    Reversing the Warburg Effect as a Treatment for Glioblastoma
- in-vitro, GBM, U87MG - NA, AD, NA - in-vitro, GBM, A172 - in-vitro, GBM, T98G
Warburg↓, OCR↑, lactateProd↓, TumCP↓, TumCCA↑, AMPK↑, ACC↓, Cyc↓, neuroP↑, Cyt‑c↝, Glycolysis↓, ECAR↓, TumCG↓, other↓,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 5 of 5

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 5

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

OXPHOS↑, 3,   mt-OXPHOS↑, 1,   ROS↑, 2,   ROS⇅, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

ATP↓, 1,   OCR↑, 4,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

ACC↓, 1,   AMPK↑, 2,   ECAR↓, 1,   GlucoseCon↑, 1,   GlutaM↓, 1,   Glycolysis↓, 3,   lactateProd↓, 3,   NADPH↓, 1,   Warburg↓, 3,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Cyt‑c↝, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

other↓, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

Cyc↓, 1,   TumCCA↑, 2,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

TumCG↓, 2,  

Migration ⓘ

TumCP↓, 3,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↝, 2,   eff↑, 1,   Half-Life↝, 1,   selectivity↑, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiTum↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 2,  
Total Targets: 27

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

mt-antiOx↑, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

OCR↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

ECAR↓, 1,   GlucoseCon↑, 1,   Glycolysis↓, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

mTOR↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

BBB↑, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

eff↝, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

cognitive↑, 1,   memory↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 10

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: OCR, Oxygen consumption rate
5 Methylene blue
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells

Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:12  Target#:846  State#:%  Dir#:2
  wNotes=0  sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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