Featured article | October 2024
Targeting the Mitochondrial-Stem Cell Connection in Cancer Treatment: A Hybrid Orthomolecular Protocol
Baghli I et al. (2024)
Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Volume 39, Number 3, 2024
Discussed in the article:
- The mitochondrial-stem cell connection (MSCC) hypothesis – which combines metabolic and cancer stem cell theories to explain how cancer develops and spreads. The hypothesis proposes impaired oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) contributes to the formation of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which drive tumor growth, metastasis, and therapy resistance.
- Standard cancer treatments often target DNA mutations but fail to restore OxPhos or eliminate CSCs, limiting their effectiveness.
- A 12-week hybrid protocol integrating vitamins, repurposed (off-label) drugs, diet, and additional therapies. The approach aims to restore mitochondrial function, reduce cancer stem cell activity, and starve cancer cells of essential fuels, providing an innovative strategy to complement traditional therapies.
- Key elements of the proposed hybrid protocol
- Vitamin C: Triggers cancer cell death (apoptosis), restores OxPhos, and reduces CSCs and metastases.
- Vitamin D: Regulates mitochondrial function, reduces cancer progression, and improves survival.
- Zinc: Supports mitochondrial health, restores apoptosis, reduces CSC activity, and boosts chemotherapy response.
- Ivermectin: Induces apoptosis and inhibits CSCs and metastases.
- Benzimidazoles (Mebendazole, Fenbendazole): Target cancer cell division and chemotherapy-resistant cells.
- DON (6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine): A glutamine blocker that disrupts CSCs and metastases.
- Fasting: Enhances mitochondrial health, deprives cancer cells of glucose, and improves drug efficacy.
- Ketogenic Diet: Reduces glycolysis, promotes cancer cell death, and complements other therapies including DON.
- Physical Activity: Boosts mitochondrial function, reduces cancer risk, and promotes apoptosis.
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: Reverses hypoxia in tumors, enhances oxidative stress, and improves outcomes when combined with ketogenic therapy.
“Standard therapies only target bulk cells but cannot target CSCs, which have the strongest tumorigenic potential and are involved in metastasis.”
“Pharmacological doses of intravenous vitamin C have been shown to kill cancer cells but not normal cells… Intravenous Vitamin C at 1.5g/kg/day is established as a non-toxic dose for cancer patients.”
“Prescribing fasting as an anticancer drug may not be far away if large randomized clinical trials consolidate its safety and efficacy.”
