- Dimethyl sulfoxide or DMSO is a versatile chemical used for decades in laboratories and medicine, known for delivering drugs, freezing cells and easing pain.
- A 2020 study shows DMSO can stop cancer cells from growing and even trigger their death through apoptosis (programmed cell death).
- DMSO slows cancer cell growth even at low doses, disrupts the cell cycle by lowering key proteins (CDK2, cyclin A), activates caspase 3 (the “executioner enzyme” in cell death), causes DNA fragmentation and cell shrinkage (hallmarks of apoptosis) and targets extrinsic apoptosis (a death signal from outside the cell).
- DMSO, once thought to be biologically neutral, may hold real anticancer potential. It could one day improve cancer treatments – or become one itself.
- More studies are needed in animals and humans but this finding shows that even familiar substances can still surprise us – and many hold hidden promise for fighting disease – like cancer.
(Natural News)—For decades, dimethyl sulfoxide – better known as DMSO – has quietly played a behind-the-scenes role in science. A colorless liquid with the power to dissolve both water-loving and oil-loving substances, it’s been a lab staple, used to deliver drugs, freeze living cells and soothe pain. But new research suggests this chemical reagent may have an unexpected application: a cancer-fighting agent.
A 2020 study published in the Journal of Medical Discovery reveals that DMSO isn’t just a lab chemical – it can actually stop cancer cells from growing and may trigger their self-destruction.