Written by Irene Fischer, Markus Horneber, Katja Boehm and the CAM-Cancer Consortium.
Updated August 31, 2010

Dichloroacetate

Abstract and key points

  • Dichloroacetate (DCA) is a synthetic halogenated organic acid which has been used in rare diseases like congenital lactic acidosis.
  • DCA activates the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, a gatekeeper enzyme that regulates the flux of pyruvate into the mitochondria, increasing the ratio of glucose oxidation to glycolysis, possibly resulting in a higher mitochondrial apoptosis rate in cancer cells.
  • DCA is currently being investigated in clinical trials.
  • The risk-benefit balance for DCA fails to be positive.

Dichloroacetate (DCA) is a substance that is being used for medical treatment but is also regarded as a potentially hazardous environmental agent.

The current interest in DCA evolved after the publication in 2007 of a scientific article that reported the ability of this compound to cause selective death of human cancer cells studied in tissue culture or after implantation into animal hosts. Subsequent advertising claims by various non-scientific, for-profit groups were directed at the lay public regarding DCA’s purported anti-cancer effectiveness, based on results from the original pre-clinical studies and subsequent unverifiable testimonials.1

Following the initial report, several independent researchers have confirmed and extended the original findings of DCA’s anti-neoplastic activity in a variety of human cancers, when studied in research laboratories. These studies provide evidence that DCA might interact with fundamental metabolic pathways to inhibit malignant cell proliferation. In order to investigate the clinical effects of DCA in cancer, several clinical trials are ongoing and first results suggest that DCA might be able to disrupt the metabolism of tumor cells and can be administered safely to patients.

Given the current paucity of clinical data, the known risk of adverse effects and possible drug interactions, risk-benefit balance of DCA fails to be positive.

Citation

Irene Fischer, Markus Horneber, Katja Boehm, CAM-Cancer Consortium. Dichloroacetate [online document]. http://cam-cancer.org/CAM-Summaries/Dietary-approaches/Dichloroacetate. August 31, 2010.

Document history

Summary is currently being updated and revised.
Summary first published in August 2010, authored by Irene Fischer, Markus Horneber, Katja Boehm.

References

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