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Supplement May Boost the Effectiveness of Mesothelioma Treatment

ByAlex Strauss
supplement may boost the effectiveness of mesothelioma treatment

A supplement that claims to increase oxygen in the tissues might boost the effectiveness of mesothelioma treatment. 

That is the conclusion of researchers at Italy’s National Cancer Institute in Rome. 

The group tested the supplement Cellfood (CF) on several types of cancer cells in the lab. They also gave the supplement to mice with implanted human mesothelioma tumors. 

CF appeared to boost the effectiveness of mesothelioma treatment with radiation or chemoradiation. 

What is Cellfood?

Cellfood (Deutrosultazyme) is a nutraceutical produced by NuScience Corporation. A nutraceutical is a nutritional supplement that may function like a drug in some ways.

According to NuScience, Cellfood contains colloidal minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and dissolved oxygen. Lab studies show that it has antioxidant effects and causes some cancer cells to die. 

Cellfood claims to provide more oxygen to cells. When oxygenated cells are hit by radiation, they produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). The researchers thought CF might boost the effectiveness of mesothelioma treatment by producing more ROS. 

Does Cellfood Boost the Effectiveness of Mesothelioma Treatment?

The short answer appears to be yes. 

Seventy percent of mice treated with Cellfood before being infected with malignant mesothelioma showed no tumor growth. This suggests that Cellfood may have preventive qualities. 

After the mice were infected, they received radiation or a combination of radiation and chemotherapy.

“In mouse mesothelioma xenografts, CF improves the effect of radiotherapy,” writes study author Barbara Nuvoli in Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology. The effect was even stronger with the addition of chemotherapy.

The team analyzed the mesothelioma cells to understand why. They say CF appeared to boost the effectiveness of mesothelioma treatment by reducing HIF1a expression. HIF1a is a protein that helps cancer cells thrive without much oxygen. 

The team concludes that CF “could be a useful intervention to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy or combined treatment strategies” for mesothelioma and other cancers.

Cellfood with radiation has not yet been tested in a human mesothelioma trial. According to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, “Supplements with antioxidant properties are not recommended during chemotherapy and radiotherapy.”

Mesothelioma patients should consult their cancer doctor before starting or stopping any supplement. 

Sources:

Nuboli, B, et al, “The effect of CELLFOODTM on radiotherapy or combined chemoradiotherapy: preclinical evidence”, October 13, 2019, Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1758835919878347

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