Dichloroacetate / Hif1a Cancer Research Results

DCA, Dichloroacetate: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Dichloroacetate (DCA) is a metabolic modulator that targets the altered metabolic state of cancer cells by inhibiting PDKs. This action impacts several key pathways:

• Reversal of the Warburg effect
• Restoration of mitochondrial function and promotion of apoptosis
• suppresses glycolysis and promotes oxidative phosphorylation, thereby increasing mitochondrial ROS-mediated apoptosis in tumor cells • Increase in ROS production leading to oxidative stress
• Inhibition of cell cycle progression
• Modulation of HIF-1α signaling: DCA might decrease HIF-1α stabilization, thereby reducing the expression of genes that support glycolysis, angiogenesis, and survival under low-oxygen conditions.

-DCA has been primarily used in treating congenital lactic acidosis—a rare genetic disorder characterized by the buildup of lactic acid in the body.
-DCA is an anti-diabetic and lipid-lowering drug, as well as treating myocardial and cerebrovascular ischemia.

-Do not add DCA to hot or warm beverages. DCA is unstable at higher temperatures
-Caffeinated increases effectiveness
-Vitamin B1 reduces neuropathy (500mg-2500mg/day)
-Possibly 20 grams of citric acid 20 minutes before taking DCA
-Procaine, Diclofenac or Sulindac to increase SMCT1
-Omeprazole 80mg/day to increase DCA effectiveness
-Scorpion venom to increase DCA effectiveness
-Metformin 1000mg to 1500mg/day
-Propranolol (Ref.)
-Fenbendazole shows strong synergy when combined to DCA, So it may make very much sense to combine the two.
"Note: DCA is not tumor cell specific,> and therefore the same shift in glucose metabolism that occurs in cancer cells will also take place in immune cells, leading to induction of Tregs (Ref.). In order to avoid this possibility, while using DCA I would also use Treg inhibitors such as Cimetidine (Ref.) or low dose Cyclophosphamide (Ref.)."

Dose: 10mg/kg/day and increase slowly to about 25mg/kg/day:(1/2morn,1/2evening) take 5 days on, 2 off? OR 2wks on/ 1wk off: https://www.thedcasite.com/dca_dosage.html
Done by mixing it in water and drinking, suggested that DCA not be taken on an empty stomach.

****
DCA-induced apoptosis in cancer cells requires sodium-coupled monocarboxylates transporter SLC5A8 (SMCT1)
-Inhibitors of DNA methylation induce reactivation of SLC5A8
-Procaine is a DNA-demethylating agent with growth-inhibitory effects in human cancer cells.
-SMCT1 was found to be stimulated by some other NSAIDs (diclofenac, meclofenamate and sulindac), by activin A143 and by the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum.

SMCT1 has been found to be inhibited by some NSAIDs (ibuprofen, ketoprofen, fenoprofen, naproxen135 and indomethacin94), phytochemicals (resveratrol and quercetin) **** Hence these should be avoided with DCA. (also AVOID Bromide, iodide and sulfite )

****
GSTZ1 an/or chloride anion transport inhibitors also reduce resistance to DCA (if the tumor expresses GSTZ1 and contains a high chloride anions level, the GSTZ1 will be stable, maintaining the resistance to DCA).

-Dichloroacetate-dca-treatment-strategy GSTZ1 an/or chloride anion transport inhibitors. .
-Etacrynic acid is a Cl(-)-ATPase inhibitor
-Lansoprazole and Omeprazole inhibit chloride channels.
-Chlorotoxin found in scorpion venom (see my post on scorpion venom) can also inhibit chlorine channels

Sources:
https://northernhealthproducts.com/shop/
https://www.dcalab.com/

Rank Pathway / Target Axis Direction Primary Effect Notes / Cancer Relevance Ref
1 Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) → PDH gatekeeper ↓ PDK activity → ↑ active PDH (dephosphorylated) Warburg reversal (pyruvate into TCA) DCA’s canonical mechanism: inhibits PDK, restoring PDH activity and oxidative metabolism in cancer (ref)
2 Glycolysis output (lactate / ECAR) ↓ lactate production / ↓ ECAR Reduced acidification; metabolic reprogramming DCA decreases PDH phosphorylation and lowers glycolytic output (lactate/ECAR) in cancer models (ref)
3 Mitochondrial membrane potential remodeling (ΔΨm) ↓ cancer-associated mitochondrial hyperpolarization (depolarization) Restores apoptosis susceptibility Glioblastoma work: DCA reverses cancer-specific mitochondrial remodeling (hyperpolarization → depolarization), enabling apoptosis (ref)
4 ROS generation (especially under hypoxia) ↑ ROS Oxidative stress trigger DCA increases ROS in hypoxic cancer cells (reported strongly under hypoxia), linking metabolic shift to cytotoxic stress (ref)
5 Voltage-gated K+ channel axis (Kv1.5) / NFAT signaling ↑ Kv1.5 expression/activity Pro-apoptotic electrophysiology shift Endometrial cancer study: DCA engages mitochondrial + NFAT–Kv1.5 mechanisms associated with apoptosis sensitization (ref)
6 Intrinsic apoptosis (mitochondrial pathway) ↑ apoptosis Programmed cell death DCA induces apoptosis in glioblastoma and endometrial cancer models as mitochondrial remodeling is reversed (ref)
7 PUMA-mediated apoptotic priming ↑ PUMA-dependent sensitization Lower apoptotic threshold Endometrial cancer paper explicitly reports a PUMA-mediated component in DCA apoptosis sensitization (ref)
8 Hypoxia resistance axis (HIF-1α / PDK1) ↓ hypoxia-associated resistance (HIF-1α/PDK1 axis engaged) Improved treatment responsiveness DCA attenuates hypoxia-associated resistance in gastric cancer context with reported linkage to HIF-1α and PDK1 (ref)
9 Radiosensitization (hypoxic tumor cells) ↑ radiosensitivity (esp. under hypoxia) Therapy potentiation DCA increases ROS under hypoxia and enhances radiotherapy response in TNBC models (ref)
10 In vivo / translational anti-tumor activity (glioblastoma) ↓ tumor growth / ↓ proliferation (model-dependent) Demonstrated anti-tumor effect Glioblastoma study includes translational evidence that DCA can reverse tumor metabolic remodeling with anti-tumor effects (ref)


Hif1a, HIF1α/HIF1a: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
Hypoxia-Inducible-Factor 1A (HIF1A gene, HIF1α, HIF-1α protein product)
-Dominantly expressed under hypoxia(low oxygen levels) in solid tumor cells
-HIF1A induces the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
-High HIF-1α expression is associated with Poor prognosis
-Low HIF-1α expression is associated with Better prognosis

-Functionally, HIF-1α is reported to regulate glycolysis, whilst HIF-2α regulates genes associated with lipoprotein metabolism.
-Cancer cells produce HIF in response to hypoxia in order to generate more VEGF that promote angiogenesis

Key mediators of aerobic glycolysis regulated by HIF-1α.
-GLUT-1 → regulation of the flux of glucose into cells.
-HK2 → catalysis of the first step of glucose metabolism.
-PKM2 → regulation of rate-limiting step of glycolysis.
-Phosphorylation of PDH complex by PDK → blockage of OXPHOS and promotion of aerobic glycolysis.
-LDH (LDHA): Rapid ATP production, conversion of pyruvate to lactate;

HIF-1α Inhibitors:
-Curcumin: disruption of signaling pathways that stabilize HIF-1α (ie downregulate).
-Resveratrol: downregulate HIF-1α protein accumulation under hypoxic conditions.
-EGCG: modulation of upstream signaling pathways, leading to decreased HIF-1α activity.
-Emodin: reduce HIF-1α expression. (under hypoxia).
-Apigenin: inhibit HIF-1α accumulation.


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
5194- DCA,    Metabolic modulation of glioblastoma with dichloroacetate
- vitro+vivo, GBM, NA
MMP↓, mt-ROS↑, Apoptosis↑, CSCs↓, Hif1a↓, P53↑, angioG↓, toxicity↓, PDKs↓,
1880- DCA,    A Novel Form of Dichloroacetate Therapy for Patients With Advanced Cancer: A Report of 3 Cases
- Case Report, Var, NA
OS↑, angioG↓, Hif1a↝, pH↝, QoL↑,
1874- DCA,    Dichloroacetate induces apoptosis of epithelial ovarian cancer cells through a mechanism involving modulation of oxidative stress
- in-vitro, Ovarian, SKOV3 - in-vitro, Ovarian, MDAH-2774
Apoptosis↑, MPO↓, iNOS↓, Hif1a↓, SOD↑, Casp3↑,
1866- DCA,  MET,  BTZ,    Targeting metabolic pathways alleviates bortezomib-induced neuropathic pain without compromising anticancer efficacy in a sex-specific manner
- in-vivo, NA, NA
eff↑, TumCG↓, Hif1a↓, PDH↑, lactateProd↓, TumVol↓, TumW↓, Glycolysis↑, neuroP↑,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 4 of 4

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 4

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

MPO↓, 1,   mt-ROS↑, 1,   SOD↑, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics

MMP↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

Glycolysis↑, 1,   lactateProd↓, 1,   PDH↑, 1,   PDKs↓, 1,  

Cell Death

Apoptosis↑, 2,   Casp3↑, 1,   iNOS↓, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair

P53↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

CSCs↓, 1,   TumCG↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature

angioG↓, 2,   Hif1a↓, 3,   Hif1a↝, 1,  

Cellular Microenvironment

pH↝, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

eff↑, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

neuroP↑, 1,   OS↑, 1,   QoL↑, 1,   toxicity↓, 1,   TumVol↓, 1,   TumW↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 25

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Total Targets: 0

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: Hif1a, HIF1α/HIF1a
4 Dichloroacetate
1 Metformin
1 Bortezomib
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#:288  Target#:143  State#:%  Dir#:%
wNotes=0 sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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