Can Methylene Blue Help Cure Cancer?

This article is one of many where we assess the method of action and potential use of various natural and off-label medicines for cancer. The title asks if Methylene Blue (MB) is a potential cure for cancer. The truth is, there is no single cure for cancer. Maybe one day we will discover the magic bullet (more on this term later), but until then, cancer requires a systemic approach that involves a variety of therapies and lifestyle changes by the individual.

We want to make it clear that ICCA in no way advocates for the use of any off-label drug without speaking with your doctor about the safety and efficacy for your specific condition. Having said that, we believe that everyone has the right to fair and unbiased information when it comes to their personal health. We hope this article can provide just a brief glimpse of what Methylene Blue is and its potential health applications.

Methylene Blue's Recent Resurgence

Although Methylene Blue is one of the very first synthetic drugs in modern medicine, in the recent years, Methylene Blue has gained popularity for its extensive list of off-label uses. A viral video of RFK Jr. adding a mysterious blue substance to his water on an airplane is credited for its recent surge in popularity. Most recently, a guest of The Joe Rogan Podcast mentioned how people he knew used Methylene Blue as part of their successful treatment of cancer. Other popular, more scientific podcasters like Andrew Huberman and Dr. Eric Berg, have also taken a closer look at Methylene Blue and its potential health benefits. We believe that Methylene Blue's recent popularity is a general consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, as people are waking up to the dire state of our health and the various ways in which we can better ourselves outside of the medical system.

So in this article, we'll start with a brief history, discuss how it works on a biochemical level, and then assess whether it has any applicable use for cancer.

History and Medical Uses of Methylene Blue

Methylene Blue has quite a fascinating and long history for its various medical uses. It was originally used as a textile dye in the 19th century and later for staining cells in biology. In 1891 it was discovered by Nobel Prize winning scientist Paul Ehrlich to be effective against the malaria parasite, alongside pathologist Paul Guttmann [1], and was used as the standard of care against malaria for soldiers in World War I and II.

In 1932, it was reported as an effective treatment for cyanide, which is a poison that directly affects the mitochondria's ability to produce energy. It was also used as a powerful anti-microbial and anti-fungal, before today's more common pharmaceuticals hit the market. It is still used today as a cleaner for fish tanks for these same anti-fungal and anti-parasitic properties.

In the mid to late 20th century, Methylene Blue was being evaluated for its treatment for psychiatric disorders. More recent studies show promising results in the treatment of depression and bipolar. It is said to elevate mood, reduce fear, improve memory and balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain increasing both creativity and rationality.

Warning: Because of Methylene Blue's direct impact on serotonin levels, it is contraindicative for anyone taking SSRIs or other psychiatric drugs due to the serious risk of developing serotonin syndrome. For this same reason, it is not advised for anyone using psychedelic drugs. It is also contraindicative for anyone with a GP6D deficiency. ICCA advises to always speak to your doctor before taking any medication.

In the United States, the FDA approved Methylene Blue in 2016 for the treatment of methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder where oxidized hemoglobin in red blood cells cannot bind and transport oxygen like normal healthy cells.

It was even successfully used in studies during the COVID-19 pandemic where methylene blue was used in conjunction with light therapy to effectively inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus [2].

Today it's being researched as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's due to its ability to target multiple functions of the disease.

Other uses include the treatment of urinary tract infections, nitric oxide-induced hypotensive complications from septic shock, cardiopulmonary bypass, carbon monoxide poisoning, strokes, Parkinson's disease, optic neuropathy, and in diagnostic procedures and Vasoplegic syndrome [3].

So as you can see, Methylene Blue is not just another hyped up Internet remedy. Being one of the oldest synthetic drugs, there is a mountain of published literature and studies to suggest its true legitimacy as a multi-purpose therapeutic drug. But is it helpful for someone with cancer? Let's look a bit closer at its method of action to see if there are any relevant applications.

Methylene Blue's Method of Action

One of Methylene Blue's primary mode of action is on the mitochondria. Mitochondria are the energy producers of our cells. Through the Krebs Cycle and Electron Transport Chain, our cell's mitochondria convert nutrients from our food and oxygen from the air we breathe into usable energy in the form of ATP. This process, known as cellular respiration, is at the very heart of what is today known as metabolic health. Any dysfunction in the mitochondria's ability to respirate and produce energy has been linked to the majority of the chronic diseases we are seeing today, including cancer. This approach to cancer is known as the Metabolic Theory of Cancer, a theory that ICCA very much believes is on the right path.

Is Methylene Blue Useful in Cancer?

Because cancer is now being recognised by many as a metabolic disease (a disease that stems from a dysfunction of the mitochondria), anything you do to improve metabolic health is considered to be generally supportive in the presence of cancer. In the integrative world of cancer care, this is a big deal when it comes to repairing the body at a root cause level while conventional cancer treatments target the tumor itself.

However there is even evidence that Methylene Blue selectively targets cancer cells, much in the same way chemotherapy drugs do. When you combine Methylene Blue with a photodynamic light therapy, it degrades the Methylene Blue into a reactive oxygen species, killing the tissues around it [4]. This method of action is much more interesting in the potential treatment of Methylene Blue for cancer.

Conclusion

So is Methylene Blue the magic bullet for helping to cure cancer? Well ironically, the term magic bullet was actually coined by the Nobel Prize winning discoverer of Methylene Blue's use in treating malaria. He believed that the future of medicine will be synthetic drugs like Methylene Blue that could single-handedly cure many of the diseases that ail mankind [3].

Can we conclusively say Methylene Blue is useful as an adjunct therapy for cancer? Unfortunately no. You are only permitted to say that something is an effective treatment of a medical condition if there is sufficient scientific evidence to back it up (e.g. big, long, expensive studies). We simply do not have such studies for Methylene Blue and cancer, and the reality is, we will likely never have them.

But what is clear is that Methylene Blue has an extensive history of a wide array of medical uses. There are many in the alternative world who anecdotally report noticeable results to their energy, mood and cognitive ability, and even reduction of symptoms from various serious conditions. Despite all of this positive information, we want to offer a final word of caution. While Methylene Blue has a 120+ year history of safe use in humans, we do not advise taking it without the direct guidance of a medical doctor. The dosage is something that is important to get right, and if you take too much, you run the risk of serious side effects. So even though it is within your sovereign right as a human being, ICCA never advocates a DIY approach when it comes to serious health conditions like cancer.

We hope this article helped to provide a decent history and overview of Methylene Blue's medical applications. Stay tuned for more in-depth analyses of other popular off-label synthetic and natural compounds for cancer.

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References

1. Science History Institute. Paul Ehrlich. Science History Institute. https://www.sciencehistory.org/education/scientific-biographies/paul-ehrlich/

2. Emadi E, Daryoush Hamidi Alamdari, Davood Attaran, Soroush Attaran. Application of methylene blue for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19: A narrative review. PubMed. 2024;27(7):780-792. doi:https://doi.org/10.22038/ijbms.2024.71871.15617

3. Vekaria HJ, Lora Talley Watts, Lin AL, Sullivan PF. Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction in CNS injury using Methylene Blue; still a magic bullet? 2017;109:117-125. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2017.04.004

4. Amir Taldaev, Terekhov R, Nikitin I, et al. Methylene blue in anticancer photodynamic therapy: systematic review of preclinical studies. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2023;14. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1264961