Another Use for Methylene Blue: The Cancer Connection

Cancers, especially solid tumors, thrive in low-oxygen environments, making it difficult to treat. Conventional chemotherapy and radiation can compound this problem. While both therapies aim to destroy cancer cells, they can backfire. A tumor deprived of oxygen can adapt to treatment, becoming more aggressive, resistant, and better equipped to survive in an oxygen-deficient environment. (1,2,3)

Methylene Blue: What It Is and How It Works

Described as the first fully synthetic drug used in medicine, methylene blue was used to treat malaria in 1886. Originally developed as a textile dye, this brilliant blue substance gained notoriety for its use in treating several conditions.

Methylene blue is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for methemoglobinemia, a condition that strips hemoglobin of its ability to carry oxygen throughout the body. When this occurs, the body's tissues are deprived of oxygen, resulting in tissue death. Methylene blue helps reverse this condition through a series of steps that restore hemoglobin's oxygen-carrying capacity. (1,2)

On- and Off-Label Uses

The remarkable properties of methylene blue have led to its use across many treatments, both on- and off-label.

Some of its uses include:

• Treating septic and anaphylactic shock by improving blood pressure. (4)
• Staining organs to enhance visualization during procedures involving structures such as the thyroid, lymph nodes, and ureters. (5)
• Neurological conditions: It is being investigated for use in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury, and ischemic stroke. (5)
• Psychiatric conditions: It is currently being studied as adjunct therapy in bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia. (5)
• COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome: Methylene blue's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a promising candidate, though it is not FDA-approved for this use. (5)
• Oral pain during cancer treatment: Methylene blue provides relief from radiation-induced pain in patients undergoing head and neck radiation. (6)

Promising Cancer Treatment — With or Without Radiation and Chemotherapy

• Cancer treatment: Methylene blue (MB) is being investigated as a promising agent when combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT) to induce cancer cell death. It targets tumors by increasing oxygen delivery, leading to significant reductions in tumor size and metastatic potential. Breast, colorectal, and ovarian cancers have all benefited from this research, with ovarian cancer showing the greatest promise. (7)
• Androgen-dependent and -independent cancers: These cancers fall primarily under prostate cancer, though some breast and ovarian cancers are also included. Studies have shown that methylene blue targets these cancers and disrupts the migration of cancerous cells that would otherwise lead to metastasis. (8)

Promise With a Caution

Methylene blue's ability to deliver oxygen to tumor sites without harming surrounding tissue makes it a compelling candidate for cancer treatment. However, some cautions apply. Methylene blue should not be taken by individuals with G6PD deficiency, those taking antidepressants or ADHD medication, or those with severe renal impairment.

As with all supplements, consult your primary care provider before starting anything new.

Sharper thinking and stronger cells with no mess, no blue tongue!

References

1. Chen, Z., Han, F., Du, Y., Shi, H., & Zhou, W. (2023). Hypoxic microenvironment in cancer: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic interventions. Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 8(1), 70. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-023-01332-8
2. Gilkes, D. (2019, November 7). Oxygen-starved tumor cells have survival advantage that promotes cancer spread. Johns Hopkins Medicine Newsroom. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2019/11/oxygen-starved-tumor-cells-have-survival-advantage-that-promotes-cancer-spread
3. BASF. (2015). Pioneering thinker – then and now: Methylene blue. BASF Creating Chemistry Magazine. https://www.basf.com/global/en/media/magazine/creatingchemistrystories/2015/pioneer-thinker-then-and-now-methlyene-blue
4. Farina Junior, J. A., Celotto, A. C., da Silva, M. F., & Evora, P. R. (2012). Guanylate cyclase inhibition by methylene blue as an option in the treatment of vasoplegia after a severe burn. A medical hypothesis. Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research, 18(5), HY13–HY17. https://doi.org/10.12659/msm.882718
5. Ostrovsky, A., & Afzal, M. (2026). Methylene blue. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557593/
6. da Veiga Moreira, J., Nleme, N., Schwartz, L., Leclerc-Desaulniers, K., Carmona, E., Mes-Masson, A. M., & Jolicoeur, M. (2024). Methylene Blue Metabolic Therapy Restrains In Vivo Ovarian Tumor Growth. Cancers, 16(2), 355. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16020355
7. Taldaev, A., Terekhov, R., Nikitin, I., Melnik, E., Kuzina, V., Klochko, M., Reshetov, I., Shiryaev, A., Loschenov, V., & Ramenskaya, G. (2023). Methylene blue in anticancer photodynamic therapy: systematic review of preclinical studies. Frontiers in pharmacology, 14, 1264961. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1264961
8. Shanthi, P. T., Foes, A., & Munirathinam, G. (2019). Evaluating the therapeutic effects of methylene blue against prostate cancer [Abstract]. In Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019 (Atlanta, GA). Cancer Research, 79(13 Suppl.), Abstract nr 2958. https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/79/13_Supplement/2958/635047/Abstract-2958-Evaluating-the-therapeutic-effects

Written by Brooke Lounsbury