Lysosomes, Solute carriers (SLC) and everything else. The more complicated the story, the more important to stick with basics. DTPA and steroids/antihistamines to treat Gadolinium Deposition Disease
THe more complicated the story becomes, the more critical it is to stick with the root cause. Trying to tackle individual disturbances/ dysregulations, of the 100 or, that GDD can cause is a formula for disaster. Any individual change may as likely cause further damage than improvement, because this may start down another cascade of ill events. Gd is the core of the problem, so there are two principle managements: avoidance and removal. Removal is best performed by iv DTPA. These are my words: the physician who has written more on the benefits, and the various harms of Gd. There is no one even close to my level of accomplishment in these areas. I have written over 200 papers on the valuer of GBCAs, 10 or so papers on NSF, 10 or so papers on Gd retention in the brain on MRI, and close to 20 papers om GDD. I am rated as the #10 most accomplished author in MRI, # 14 in diagnostic imaging and in the top 0.05% of all scholars in all fields. So, no one has written as much on the value of GBCAs, and no one has written as much on the various limitations in Gd. So no one who contests the existence of GDD has written a fraction of what I have done on the value of GBCAs in MRI. No one who has written that Gd is toxic, but GD does not work, has written a fraction of what I have written on the subject of toxicity or has studied as much as I on the principal of GBCA construction and design. Basically our approach to chelation mirrors exactly the considerations of GBCA construction and mirrors how adverse reactions are managed. So to say that we ar enot doing things correctly means you do not understand the design of GBCAs, nor understand the management of acute hypersensitivity reactions.
Most recently an expert physician with GDD wrote to me of the importance of solute carriers (SLCs) for the development of zGDD. What are these? These are of a number of 100 or so different chemicals that facilitate transport across the cell membrane, transport into / out of cells and mitochondrial function. So very likely some SLCs are critical with GDD development. Other individuals have correctly identified that Gd may be sequestered in lysosomes into cells, but these same individuals do not seem to be aware that one of the chief functions of lysosomes is to expel materials into the extracellular space. Hence lysosome sequestration will lead to extrusion of the lysosome content back into the extracellular space - that is Gd going back into the extracellular space where it is readily removed. Furthermore as I have previously stated Gd may also exchange like other atoms, such as Ca and K , between intracellular and extracellular space.
You can read this article to learn about lysosomes.
In other words all the metabolic pathways, exchanges and interactions are exceedingly complex with Gd. When things are exceedingly complex the wise thing to do is to deal with the core issue. To get back to the basics. Gd is the substance that has made the person sick, iv DTPA is the most effective approach currently to remove Gd, so chelation with iv DTPA is the principal treatment. If iv DTPA treatment is performed well the great majority of patients improve significantly. I hopefully do not need to write this again, although Agents of Discord still ply ignorance. These may be as bad as willfully ignorant individuals who think GDD does not exist. Much of this ignorance is breath-taking. There are authors who write that Gd is deposited in the nuclei of cells, that Gd persists in the body for a long time, and then incredulously write that GDD does not exist. Defies reason. How is it that with Gd in nuclei, and Gd staying in the body for a long time that some people won't be sick from it? What could you possibly be thinking?
Now can there be ancillary treatments that may be of value along with chelation. Yes, and I have written in earlier blogs about some of these. Presently I am focused on what additional important information studying epigenetics and inflammogens will provide. This is why I will work with Functional Genomics Analysis to look for genetic and other perturbations in individuals' cellular make up. I am hopeful this will provide unique and important information to everyone with GDD.
Richard Semelka, MD
Comments