Preventing 'chemo brain' with antioxidants targeting the spinal fluid (SOD3, which can be easily increased)

Medical Xpress / Children's Hospital Boston / Neuron ^ | Sept. 13, 2022 | Ahram Jang et al

[ConservativeMind]

Up to three quarters of patients receiving cancer chemotherapy suffer from "chemo brain"—a long-term side effect that makes it harder to remember things.

Maria Lehtinen, Ph.D. and Naama Kanarek, Ph.D. conducted studies showing the importance of the CSF in promoting brain health and growth, together with the choroid plexus, the little-known brain tissue that produces CSF. Separately, Kanarek has been studying the metabolic effects of the chemotherapy drug methotrexate.

In mice, they found methotrexate caused oxidative damage to both the CSF and the choroid plexus.

Lehtinen, Kanarek, and colleagues further showed that methotrexate prevented the choroid plexus from secreting superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3), into the CSF. SOD3 is a natural antioxidant that normally protects cells in the brain and other tissues by helping break down potentially toxic oxygen molecules. The researchers think that without SOD3 delivered by the CSF, brain cells are more susceptible to damage.

Do the effects happen in humans? The researchers studied human neurons generated from stem cells. When they exposed the neurons to methotrexate, they produced less SOD and showed evidence of oxidative damage.

They also studied adult cancer patients who had received methotrexate chemotherapy for lymphomas affecting their central nervous system. Compared with cancer-free controls who did not receive methotrexate, these patients had reduced levels of SOD3 in their CSF and an increase in markers of oxidative damage.

So could adding SOD3 back protect the brain? Using a gene therapy approach in mice, the research team boosted SOD3 production in the choroid plexus. When they then gave the mice methotrexate, the animals' CSF and brain tissue were largely free of oxidative damage.

Lehtinen and Kanarek now want to explore the efficacy of antioxidants given directly through IV injection, a nasal spray, antioxidant-rich foods or dietary supplements.

[ConservativeMind]

There are two recent studies that show the cheap amino acid Taurine can easily increase SOD and even SOD3 antioxidant status (SOD3 just requires normal amounts of copper and zinc).

[God luvs America]

I take zinc as kung flu prevention- that should assist, correct?

[ConservativeMind]

Helping your body make SOD and SOD3:

In vitro and in vivo Antiallergic Effects of Taurine on Allergic Rhinitis

…In addition, taurine treatment increased the production of SOD3 and PPAR-γ, which, in turn, suppressed expression of proinflammatory cytokines through phosphorylation of ERK1/2.

Conclusion: Taurine could potentially serve as a therapeutic treatment for allergic disorders.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32417836/

Study shows that the amino acid taurine could be used in anti-aging therapy

One group took three 500 mg capsules of taurine per day for 16 weeks (1.5 g per day). The other took corn starch.

Markers of oxidative stress were analyzed in blood samples. One interesting result was an increase of almost 20% in levels of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the group that received taurine, compared with a decrease of 3.5% in the control group. As the authors explain, SOD protects cells against harmful reactions of the superoxide radical.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4080060/posts

Superoxide dismutase (SOD1, SOD2, SOD3 (extracellular)):

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superoxide_dismutase

[ConservativeMind]

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[spacejunkie2001]

why not just avoid chemo since it’s a toxin that doesn’t heal people?

[Cold Heart]

Prior to getting the toxic J&J vaxx I started taking zinc. I noticed a definite improvement in memory.

[RummyChick]

A lot of people are on methotrexate for autoimmune issues. When the Dr used the word chemotherapy when he mentioned that drug I ran away from it. Will have to look into the things you mention and see what it does for autoimmune stuff

[Glad2bnuts]

Easy to say if you don’t have Cancer.

[God luvs America]

I’m not vaccinated but have taken a LOT of zinc since the end of 2020, as well as Vit D, niacin, Quercetin

[ConservativeMind]

Chemo does heal people, but it also hurts them in yet a different way, that, hopefully, is less permanent than death from cancer.

[RummyChick]

Quercetin is like some miracle drug. It is highly recommended for people trying to deal with histamine intolerance. So is activated charcoal.

[Chode]

amen...

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Thanks CM!

I take a capsule that contains SOD but I have to take it on an empty stomach or it gets digested. I will probably start taking Taurine again. (Amino acid that is both water and fat soluable but you probably already know that!)