What an excellent find, Boff. What stood out for me is a 27.6%...

What an excellent find, Boff.

What stood out for me is a 27.6% decrease in VO2peak, while only a 7.6% decrease in maximal heart rate. Since VO2peak is expected to decline at a rate of ~10% per decade, these children have experienced almost 28-years of normal ageing (1) - they are quite literally disabled for life.

1. https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/61/8/851/589346?login=false

All the children in the study received anthracyclines and antimetabolites, with the median dose of anthracyclines being relatively low. This underscores the importance of Bisantrene's off-target cardioprotective effects. In my YouTube analysis, I discussed how ROS production is a common pathway among cardiotoxic drugs, and Bisantrene has shown significant or circumstantial cardioprotection against them. Given that drugs are often used in combinations, and ROS production is a key driver of cardiotoxicity, Bisantrene appears to be a highly promising addition to standard treatment protocols by more effectively treating the cancer while protecting the heart from permanent heart damage. Maybe, just maybe, these children could have had a real second chance.

This one has hit me hard.