[IronBeer]

http://www.iheartchaos.com/post/5521235288/canadian-researchers-cure-cancer-and-nobody-notices

Thoughts?

[General Battuta]

That writeup was clearly written by someone who does not know much biology (mitochondria = cells?  )

ed: here is the Wikipedia blob on the topic

Cancer cells generally use glycolysis rather than respiration (oxidative phosphorylation) for energy (the Warburg effect), as a result of hypoxia that exists in tumors and damaged mitochondria.[13] Usually dangerously damaged cells kill themselves via apoptosis, a mechanism of self-destruction that involves mitochondria, but this mechanism fails in cancer cells.

A phase one study published in January 2007 by researchers at the University of Alberta, who had tested DCA on cancer cells grown in mice, found that DCA restored mitochondrial function, thus restoring apoptosis, allowing cancer cells to self-destruct and shrink the tumor.[14]

These results received extensive media attention, beginning with an article in New Scientist titled "Cheap, ‘safe’ drug kills most cancers".[15] Subsequently, the American Cancer Society and other medical organizations have received a large volume of public interest and questions regarding DCA.[16] Clinical trials in humans with cancer have not been conducted in the USA and are not yet final in Canada, emphasizing the need for caution in interpreting the preliminary results.[16][17]
[edit] Results of phase II clinical trials

In in vitro studies, Evangelos Michelakis of University of Alberta found that in tissue samples from 49 patients, DCA caused depolarization of mitochondria in GBM tissue but not in normal brain tissue.[18]

Five palliative patients with primary GBM were entered into a phase II trial. Three had not responded to several chemotherapies; two were newly diagnosed. After surgical removal of tumor mass, they were treated with DCA and chemotherapy.[18]

Of the five patients tested, one died after three months. The surviving four were followed for 15 months. Their Karnofsky scores were unchanged in two cases, and decreased by 10 points in two patients.[18]

DCA was associated with tumor regression and had a good safety profile. DCA side effects were minimal.[18]

Michelakis is proceeding with phase three human studies with private funding from philanthropic groups and individuals. DCA's legal status as a discovery is public domain because it was made or discovered as far back as 1864[19] and has been used in the treatment of canine and human lactic acidosis, some who presented at the beginning of treatment with cancer.
[edit] Off-label use

Akbar and Humaira Khan have since March 2007 treated cancer patients using DCA off-label at their private clinic, Medicor Cancer Centres, in Toronto.[20] They have treated several types of cancer and said on their web site that some patients "are showing varied positive responses to DCA including tumor shrinkage, reduction in tumor markers, symptom control, and improvement in lab tests".[21] Although they have not published their results nor reported it at medical conferences, they have uploaded details of patient responses and overall statistics on their web site.[22] They report that two patients who had DCA added to traditional chemotherapy had complete remission of metastatic cancer. Medicor states that the clinical results they have been getting are in agreement with clinical trials.[23]
[edit] Concerns about pre-trial use

Following its initial publication, The New Scientist later editorialized, "The drug may yet live up to its promise as an anti-cancer agent – clinical trials are expected to start soon. It may even spawn an entirely new class of anti-cancer drugs. For now, however, it remains experimental, never yet properly tested in a person with cancer. People who self-administer the drug are taking a very long shot and, unlikely as it may sound, could even make their health worse."[24]

In 2010 it was found that for human colorectal tumours grown in mice, under hypoxic conditions, DCA decreased rather than increased apoptosis, resulting in enhanced growth of the tumours.[25] These findings suggest that at least in some cancer types DCA treatment could be detrimental to patient health, highlighting the need for further testing before it can be considered a safe and effective cancer treatment.[25]
[edit] Planned and ongoing clinical trials

DCA is non-patentable as a compound, though a patent has been filed for its use in cancer treatment.[26] Research by Evangelos Michelakis has received no support from the pharmaceutical industry. Concerns have been raised that without strong intellectual property protection, the financial incentive for drug development is reduced, and therefore clinical trials of DCA may not be funded.[15][16][17][27] However, other sources of funding exist; previous studies of DCA have been funded by government organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and by private charities (e.g. the Muscular Dystrophy Association). Recognizing anticipated funding challenges, Michelakis's lab took the unorthodox step of directly soliciting online donations to fund the research.[28] After 6 months, his lab had raised over $800,000, enough to fund a small Clinical Phase 2 study. Michelakis and Archer have applied for a patent on the use of DCA in the treatment of cancer.[29][30]

On 24 September 2007, the Department of Medicine of Alberta University reported that after the trial funding was secured, both the Alberta local ethics committee and Health Canada approved the first DCA clinical trial for cancer.[31] This initial trial was relatively small with enrollment of up to 50 patients. The trial was completed in August 2009.[32] In May 2010 the team published a press release[33] stating no conclusions could be drawn as a result of the trial. A paper describing the results was published[34] but not linked from the press release. Only five patients had been treated with the drug during the trial.

In May 2011, online reports[35] suggested that the Alberta group had released new data which the media "had not reported". However, this appeared to be caused by confusion between dates (the previous update was May 2010[36]) and cancer charities moved quickly to counter these rumours,[37][38] which were subsequently covered in New Scientist magazine.[39]

[IronBeer]

That writeup was clearly written by someone who does not know much biology (mitochondria = cells?  )

Good catch, I wasn't reading all that closely.

[bobbtmann]

I get the impression that the study was more for getting attention, and not so much to prove anything.

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2010/05/dichloroacetate_dca_and_cancer_deja_vu_a.php

[Bobboau]

well, it looks like this might be a potent anticancer catalyst.

[Kosh]

That writeup was clearly written by someone who does not know much biology (mitochondria = cells?  )

Maybe they meant midichlorians.......   

[MP-Ryan]

DCA has been in the pipe for cancer research for quite some time; as Battuta's quotation says, it's been in use in many applications for ages.  It also has had some pretty hefty research setbacks.  In point of fact, there are a lot of online scammers that claim to sell DCA and are in reality selling something else as a direct consequence of all the miracle claims, which are largely unfounded when it comes to the results of clinical trials (unfortunately).

Also - I did my undergrad at the UofA and actually recall this research publication =)