Methylene blue could hold the key to future anti-aging treatment

In continuation of my update on Methylene Blue

In a  keynote address to the 19th World Dermatology Congress, renowned dermatologist Dr. Saad Sami AlSogair noted that the past could hold the key to the future of anti-aging.

Dr. AlSogair's presentation to a packed house, titled "Anti-Aging Potentials of Methylene Blue for Human Skin Longevity," provided compelling evidence of methylene blue's ability to delay aging-related mitochondrial dysfunction and stimulate collagen and elastin. Together, these factors point to an anti-aging breakthrough nearly 150 years in the making.

"Methylene blue was first synthesized in 1876 and has been in use in clinical medicine ever since," Dr. AlSogair explained. "It is a powerful antioxidant and has proven effective in treating a variety of conditions from malaria to Alzheimer's disease, with a very low risk of side effects. But, it is only recently that methylene blue has been shown to be a promising treatment for mitochondrial dysfunction, which causes a wide variety of diseases and problems, including visible aging of the skin."

Dr. AlSogair, a board-certified dermatologist from Saudi Arabia, was tapped to deliver the keynote due to his prominence in the medical community. In 2013, the World Organization of Aesthetic Medicine Doctors named Dr. AlSogair "Dermatologist of the Year" for outstanding contributions to his field. In 2015, the Swiss Academy of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine elected Dr. AlSogair as its Middle East Ambassador. And since 2016, Dr. AlSogair has served as vice president of the Middle East International Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine Conference and Exhibition (MEIDAM).

Among Dr. AlSogair's findings: Methylene blue can delay the deterioration that was once thought to be an unavoidable sign of aging. Methylene blue has been shown to enhance cellular oxygen consumption--a key weapon in the fight against free radicals--by 37% to 70%. It is highly soluble in both water and organic solvents with a low redox potential.

In the most promising and buzz-worthy part of his keynote, Dr. AlSogair informed the crowd that methylene blue actually reverses aging, has a neuroprotective effect on Alzheimer's patients, extended the life of female mice by 6%, and showed promise in the treatment of progeria, a rare genetic disorder that causes rapid-aging in children.

What's more, when applied to a 3D skin model, methylene blue promoted wound healing, increased skin hydration, and thickened the skin to a more youthful depth. But one of the most exciting dermatological findings learned was centered on one of the most obvious--and reviled--signs of aging: Wrinkles.

"Wrinkling is a highly visible feature of aged skin, and in the dermatology field, it is one of the top reasons patients seek treatment," Dr. AlSogair explained. "Skin wrinkling in aging is due to a reduction in collagen. Upon treatment with methylene blue, however, we see an increase in collagen production and skin hydration, as well as the prevention of collagen degradation. Taken together, our findings indicate methylene blue has promise in anti-aging cosmetic formulations."

The 19th World Dermatology Congress was held in Tokyo on May 7th and 8th, 2018. Other prominent speakers were Mexico's Andrea Merino-Ruisanchez, Italy's Roberto Dell'Avanzato, and China's Yan Li.

Old Drug Boosts Brain's Memory Centers

 A long-used drug called methylene blue may rev up activity in brain regions involved in short-term memory and attention, a small study suggests.

 methylene blue

Methylene blue has been used in medicine for more than a century, said Timothy Duong, the senior researcher on the study and a professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

These days, he said, it's used to manage a condition called methemoglobinemia, where the blood cannot deliver enough oxygen to the body's tissues. It's also used to treat poisoning by cyanide or carbon monoxide.

But evidence dating back to the 1970s suggests the drug may also enhance memory, in animals and humans, Duong said.

In the new study, his team found that a single dose of methylene blue improved memory test performances by 13 healthy adults in a small, placebo-based clinical trial. Based on MRI brain scans, the medication worked by stimulating brain structures involved in processing memories as well as visual and sensory information.

Methylene blue is readily available and cheap, Duong said. But at this point no one is suggesting it's ready to be used for preventing or treating memory decline.

"Clearly, this is early research," said Dr. Ezriel Kornel, an assistant clinical professor of neurological surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

For one, it's not known whether the drug's effects diminish over repeated doses, said Kornel, who wasn't involved in the study. What's more, he said, the study included only people with intact memories and not those with impairments.

Still, Kornel called the findings "fascinating." He said larger, longer-term studies should dig deeper into the drug's potential.

According to Duong, methylene blue acts as "an antioxidant and an energy enhancer." In simple terms, it can allow brain cells to receive more energy.

While there was already evidence that methylene blue can boost short-term memory, Duong said his team wanted to know how the drug affects the brain.

To do that, the researchers used functional MRI, which tracks blood flow in the brain as a person performs mental tasks.

The study group included 26 healthy men and women, ages 22 to 62. Each underwent fMRI before and one hour after receiving either a single low-dose methylene blue pill or a placebo (an inactive treatment).

Overall, the researchers found, people given the drug showed an increase in brain activity during their mental tasks. That included changes in brain areas related to emotional responses, memory, and the ability to process visual and sensory information.

The drug also improved test scores a bit. On average, people had a 7 percent increase in correct responses related to memory "retrieval."

"The next step is to see if this works in patients with memory problems," Duong said. "We have a similar study underway that includes people with mild cognitive impairment."

According to Kornel, the "beauty" of methylene blue is that side effects are "minimal" at low doses. He cautioned, however, that if the drug were to become widely used, new safety issues could crop up.

The findings were published online June 28 in the journal Radiology.

Ref : http://pubs.rsna.org/doi/pdf/10.1148/radiol.2016152893