EDTA
Presentation by: Sydney Santos
Reviewed by: James Atassi, Salman Azfar, Athira Eruthodi, & Navya Tanniru
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or EDTA, is the leading method for lead detoxification. However, the benefits of EDTA go beyond metal poisoning therapy; cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases are just some of the ailments that have been correlated with elevated metal toxicity. Consequently, EDTA is often utilized as an alternative treatment for these diseases (Kontoghiorghes, 2013). Heavy metals can accumulate in humans in several ways, mostly from everyday exposure to industrial products and polluted water and food. These metals interfere with protein function and prevent the body from breaking it down. Such complexes build up in tissues and cause dysfunction (Duruibe et al., 2007). EDTA’s success as a detoxifier is in its ability to act as a strong chelating agent; chelation is the bonding of a ligand (the agent) to metal ions. EDTA also acts as an antioxidant by preventing oxidative stress on DNA. Furthermore, EDTA may cross the blood-brain barrier, since a 2014 study found that iron chelators were able to remove excess iron in the brain (Ferrero, 2016). EDTA chelation therapy is delivered intravenously with a saline solution over a long period, usually over two hours, and multiple treatments can be administered over a period of several days (Flora & Pachauri, 2010).
Further studies:
1. Continue investigating the correlation between neurodegenerative diseases and heavy metal toxicity, especially Alzheimer's and Multiple Sclerosis.
2. Study the specific mechanisms of how EDTA interacts with the blood-brain barrier, which could lead to finding other diseases that may benefit from EDTA therapy.
3. Outside of EDTA therapy, more research needs to be done on toxic metals and what thresholds are actually safe within the body.
References:
Duruibe, J. O., Ogwuegbu, M. O. C., & Egwurugwu, J. N. (2007). Heavy metal pollution and human biotoxic effects. International Journal of Physical Sciences, 2(5), 112–118.
Escolar, E., Lamas, G. A., Mark, D. B., Boineau, R., Goertz, C., Rosenberg, Y., Nahin, R. L., Ouyang, P., Rozema, T., Magaziner, A., Nahas, R., Lewis, E. F., Lindblad, L., & Lee, K. L. (2014). The Effect of an EDTA-based Chelation Regimen on Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Prior Myocardial Infarction in the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT). Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 7(1), 15–24. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.113.000663
Ferrero, M. E. (2016). Rationale for the Successful Management of EDTA Chelation Therapy in Human Burden by Toxic Metals. BioMed Research International, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/8274504
Flora, S. J. S., & Pachauri, V. (2010). Chelation in metal intoxication. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(7), 2745–2788. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph7072745
Fulgenzi, A., & Ferrero, M. E. (2019). EDTA Chelation Therapy for the Treatment of Neurotoxicity. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(5), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20051019
Kontoghiorghes, G. J. (2013). The Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Chelation held in the USA: Advances on new and old chelation therapies. Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods, 23(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.3109/15376516.2012.720305
Rush, T., Hjelmhaug, J., & Lobner, D. (2009). Effects of chelators on mercury, iron, and lead neurotoxicity in cortical culture. NeuroToxicology, 30(1), 47–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuro.2008.10.009
Seely, D. M. R., Wu, P., & Mills, E. J. (2005). EDTA chelation therapy for cardiovascular disease: A systematic review. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 5, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2261-5-32