As a decentralized doctor, there are a couple of things to consider for the treatment side. Since lithium will have a huge effect on UPEs and CNS will be more at risk for damage with lithium use for remyelination, how would we protect against this? The biochemical treatment cascade is Li inhibits GSK-3B > activates Wnt signalling > promotes OPC in the CNS. It does not do this in the PNS. All of this requires the precision of UPEs from the TCA/urea cycle, and we know that Li electronic structure is not a match for this and likely would make an alien UPE spectrum, so wouldn’t this not be always supportive of encouraging new myelin growth around vulnerable axons because of UPE changes?? It might also upregulate BDNF, NGF & VEGF. Lithium may also help with restoring the magnetic orientation/internal clock synchrony. Should everyone get DTI to do a WMV assessment to help the biophoton spectral issue I am raising? Could you imagine anything else helping remyelination in a CNS versus PNS disease?
Many references highlight the role of biophotons in cellular signaling. Still, few link it to the evolutionary significance of photon-energy utilization (e.g., ferredoxin) and the potential for light-based communication in mitochondria and neurons. We’ll address the treatment concerns with lithium, its effects on UPEs, and strategies to protect vulnerable axons. We’ll also explore additional remyelination approaches and the utility of DTI for white matter volume (WMV) assessment.
Ferredoxin’s Ancient Roots and the GOE
Imagine a time over 2.4 billion years ago, during the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), when Earth’s atmosphere began to fill with oxygen, a byproduct of early photosynthetic bacteria. These ancient microbes, like those studied by M. C. W. Evans, Bob B. Buchanan, and Daniel I. Arnon in their 1966 paper, were pioneers of a metabolic revolution. Their discovery of a ferredoxin-dependent carbon reduction cycle in photosynthetic bacteria, as depicted in the diagram above, reveals a critical piece of the evolutionary puzzle: ferredoxin, a small iron-sulfur protein, was among the earliest molecules to harness photon energy, setting the stage for life’s biochemical complexity. This is another reason why light > food. Few people know this story today.
Ferredoxin’s story begins in the primordial oceans, where simple inorganic molecules and photon energy from the sun drove the earliest forms of metabolism. As highlighted in the abstract by Eck and Dayhoff, ferredoxin’s structure likely evolved from a short peptide of just eight amino acids, possibly alanine, aspartic acid, proline, serine, and glycine, doubling over time into a more complex protein. This simplicity suggests ferredoxin predates the DNA genetic code, emerging in a prebiotic world where photon-energy utilization was a survival necessity. Ferredoxin’s iron-sulfur clusters, acting as electron carriers, allowed these early photosynthetic bacteria to capture light energy and reduce CO₂ into organic molecules, as shown in the ferredoxin-dependent cycle (e.g., converting CO₂ to acetyl-CoA and eventually to glutamate).
The GOE marked a turning point on Earth. As oxygen levels rose, ferredoxin’s role expanded beyond photosynthesis. Oxygen, a double-edged sword, enabled more efficient energy production and introduced an oxidative holocaust. To survive, cells evolved protective mechanisms: heme proteins, melanin, and superoxide dismutases (SODs). Heme proteins, like cytochrome c, began to work alongside ferredoxin in electron transport chains, while melanin shielded cells from UV-induced damage, and SODs neutralized reactive oxygen species (ROS). These adaptations were crucial as life transitioned from anaerobic to aerobic environments, laying the groundwork for complex cellular systems.
Photon-Energy Utilization and Circadian Evolution
Ferredoxin’s ability to capture photons wasn’t just about energy but also timing. The GOE coincided with the evolution of circadian mechanisms, as cells needed to synchronize their metabolic processes with the day-night cycle. Ferredoxin was key in early circadian signaling by facilitating light-driven electron transfer. This photon-energy utilization became a blueprint for later systems, like the mitochondrial electron transport chain and neuronal signaling pathways, where light-based communication, via biophotons, emerged as a cellular language. To understand how we fall apart in disease states, you must understand how the GOE built the system to operate.
Biophotons, ultra-weak photon emissions (UPEs), are now recognized as key players in cellular signaling, particularly in mitochondria, blood, and neurons. I have a sense that coherent domains in water also create them. Mitochondria, descendants of ancient bacteria, inherited ferredoxin’s photon-handling legacy, using light to regulate energy production and redox signaling. Biophotons facilitate rapid communication across axons in neurons, a process potentially rooted in ferredoxin’s early role in light-energy capture. This connection suggests that the evolutionary significance of photon-energy utilization extends far beyond metabolism, influencing how cells communicate and coordinate in complex organisms. This system was built before the myelin system.
Remyelination and White Matter Assessment
Remyelination offers hope for repairing damaged axons. Approaches like clemastine, a histamine antagonist, promote oligodendrocyte differentiation, while therapies targeting the Wnt signaling pathway enhance myelin repair. Additionally, biophoton-based therapies should be explored in our decentralized future, leveraging light to stimulate mitochondrial function and support remyelination, a concept rooted in ferredoxin’s ancient photon-handling role.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is invaluable for assessing white matter volume (WMV) and tracking remyelination. DTI measures the diffusion of water molecules in tissue, providing insights into white matter integrity. Increased fractional anisotropy (FA) on DTI scans indicates improved myelination. At the same time, reduced radial diffusivity suggests less axonal damage, a critical metric for evaluating therapeutic outcomes in MS and other neurodegenerative conditions like Progressive Supranuclear Palsy early in its development.
1. Lithium, UPEs, and Axonal Protection
Fast-forward to modern medical concerns: Lithium, commonly used to treat bipolar disorder, affects UPEs and mitochondrial function. Lithium increases mitochondrial respiration, which may enhance biophoton emission, but it also risks destabilizing redox balance, leading to oxidative stress in vulnerable axons. This is particularly concerning in demyelinating conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS), where axons are exposed to oxidative damage. Centralized strategies to protect axons include breathing treatments with antioxidants like N-acetylcysteine to mitigate ROS, alongside lithium’s mood-stabilizing benefits, ensuring a balanced therapeutic approach.
Lithium is a well-established treatment for bipolar disorder (BPD) and has been explored for neuroprotection in other CNS diseases (e.g., ALS, AD, PD). Its mechanism involves inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β), activating Wnt signaling, and promoting oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) differentiation for remyelination. However, I am concerned about lithium’s electronic structure potentially disrupting UPE spectra, which could affect remyelination and axonal health. Many cases of demyelination where lithium should have helped have turned out to have the opposite effect. I believe this is because Lithium major affects in humans are biophysical and not biochemical.
A. Lithium’s Biochemical Cascade
- Mechanism:
GSK-3β Inhibition: Lithium inhibits GSK-3β, a kinase that negatively regulates Wnt signaling.
Wnt Activation: This promotes β-catenin stabilization, enhancing Wnt pathway activity.
OPC Differentiation: Wnt signaling drives OPCs to mature into myelinating oligodendrocytes, supporting remyelination in the CNS.
- Additional Effects:
Neurotrophic Factors: Lithium upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which support neuronal survival, plasticity, and angiogenesis.
Circadian Synchrony: Lithium may restore circadian rhythms by stabilizing the internal clock (e.g., via CLOCK gene regulation), potentially improving TCA cycle dynamics and beta-oxidation. I have tweeted about this before.
B. Lithium’s Effect on UPEs: an electronic mess.
LIGHT AFFECT UPR creation. That is the basis for BPD. UPEs are linked to the fidelity of the TCA/urea Cycle dynamics. UPEs are generated by mitochondrial ROS during oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) downstream of the TCA/urea cycle. The TCA cycle’s efficiency, influenced by circadian rhythms and beta-oxidation, determines ROS production and thus UPE spectra. Nodes of Ranvier, with high mitochondrial density, are key UPE sites.
Lithium’s Electronic Structure: Lithium (atomic number 3) has a simple electronic configuration (1s² 2s¹). Its incorporation into cellular environments (e.g., as Li⁺) alters local electromagnetic fields, potentially disrupting the coherence of UPEs. The references (e.g., Mould et al., 2023) suggest that biophotons mediate non-chemical signaling between mitochondria, and tubulin networks may propagate these signals via resonance energy transfer (Kurian et al., 2017). Lithium’s “alien” electronic structure could introduce noise into this system, creating an aberrant UPE spectrum. Anything that disrupts the signal is a real problem in remyelination. This needs to be discussed with the patient.
- Impact on Remyelination:
UPE Role in Myelination: UPEs may facilitate precise cellular communication during remyelination, guiding OPC differentiation and myelin sheath formation. An aberrant UPE spectrum (due to lithium) could disrupt this process, leading to inefficient or aberrant myelination.
CNS Vulnerability: With thinner myelin and limited repair capacity (oligodendrocytes), the CNS is more susceptible to UPE disruptions than the PNS (Schwann cells). The use of Lithium could easily result in incomplete remyelination, leaving axons vulnerable to degeneration, especially in diseases like PSP, MS, ALS, AD, and PD.
Lithium is quite dangerous in Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), in my experience. PSP primarily affects the brainstem (e.g., midbrain, subthalamic nucleus) and frontal cortex, regions with high metabolic demand. Tau pathology increases mitochondrial stress, elevating ROS and UPEs in these neural zip codes. UPE Profile in PSP likely shows persistently high UPE intensity in the brainstem and frontal regions due to chronic tau-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. The midbrain’s role in vertical gaze (e.g., oculomotor nuclei) suggests that UPE elevation here may disrupt precise biophoton signaling needed for motor coordination of the eyes in the brainstem. I think the lithium electronic structure in the brain stem is at high risk.
- C. Potential Risks of Lithium on Vulnerable Axons
Aberrant Myelination: If lithium-induced UPE changes disrupt signaling, OPCs may form myelin sheaths with incorrect thickness or spacing, impairing saltatory conduction and increasing axonal stress. Thickness correlates with proton conduction and ATP stoichiometry.
Oxidative Stress: Lithium’s effect on mitochondrial function (via GSK-3β/Wnt) may alter TCA/urea cycle dynamics, potentially increasing ROS and UPEs. This could exacerbate oxidative damage in vulnerable axons, particularly CNS ones.
Neurotrophic Upregulation: While BDNF, NGF, and VEGF are beneficial, excessive upregulation (due to lithium) might overstimulate axons, leading to excitotoxicity in demyelinated regions, further risking degeneration. This is especially true if urea cycle stoichiometry is altered in the disease. This leads to problems in NO signaling that link to stem cell depots and to GABA signaling that links to the regeneration of the non-visual photoreceptors in the eye (below) at the front of the central retinal pathways.
2. Protecting Axons During Lithium Treatment
Given lithium’s potential to disrupt UPE spectra and affect remyelination, protective strategies are crucial, especially in the CNS, where axons are more vulnerable.
A. Mitigate UPE Disruption
Antioxidant Support: Since UPEs are tied to ROS, antioxidants (e.g., coenzyme Q10, N-acetylcysteine, vitamin E) can reduce oxidative stress, potentially stabilizing UPE spectra. They carry risk because we cannot know how the dosing should be aligned. After all, we cannot know the UPE spectra yet due to technological limitations. This may counteract lithium’s effects on mitochondrial ROS production.
Circadian Optimization: Lithium’s ability to restore circadian synchrony (via internal clock regulation) can be enhanced with morning sunlight exposure or light therapy. This supports beta-oxidation, TCA/urea cycle activity, and normal UPE production, reducing the risk of aberrant spectra. People with demyelination should spend 2-3 hours in AM and PM red sunlight.
Photobiomodulation (PBM): Low-level light therapy (e.g., near-infrared) can modulate mitochondrial function and UPEs, as suggested by Thar and Kühl (2014). PBM may restore coherent biophoton signaling, counteracting lithium’s disruptive effects. It is something to keep in your armentarium.
B. Enhance Remyelination Precision
- Support OPC Maturation: Combine lithium with agents that enhance OPC differentiation, such as thyroid hormone (T3) or retinoic acid, to ensure proper myelination despite UPE disruptions. Remember what control T3: Light & melanin. See below.
- Myelin Lipid Support: Provide dietary lipids (e.g., omega-3 fatty acids, ketogenic diets) to bypass TCA cycle deficits (due to lithium or circadian dysregulation), supplying precursors for myelin synthesis.
- Monitor Axonal Health: Use neuroprotective agents (e.g., riluzole, used in ALS) to reduce excitotoxicity and support axonal integrity during remyelination.
C. Minimize Ongoing CNS Damage By Limiting Tech Abuse.
Dose Optimization: Use the lowest effective lithium dose to minimize UPE disruption while inhibiting GSK-3β. Monitor serum levels to avoid toxicity. Lithium has a terrible therapeutic index, so it is hard to get dosing right in these patients.
Neurotrophic Balance: Since lithium upregulates BDNF, NGF, and VEGF, monitor for signs of excitotoxicity (e.g., via neuro exam, EEG for hyperexcitability) and consider co-treatment with GABAergic agents (e.g., valproate) to balance neuronal activity. (below)
Mitochondrial Protection: If the case is straightforward with limited nnEMF exposure, mitochondrial enhancers (e.g., MitoQ, creatine from animal foods) can support broken stoichimetry of TCA/urea cycle function, reducing the risk of oxidative stress and aberrant UPEs.
Vasopressin antagonists are being used in MS and highlight a safer approach to reduce inflammation and support remyelination compared to lithium, especially given lithium’s UPE-driven risks to kidney and thyroid function. These two are my favorite pathways in these diseases. The decentralized insights on UV-A light and neuropsin suggest that lithium’s UPE disruption dysregulates vasopressin signaling, exacerbating NDI and hypothyroidism. At the same time, vaptans target this pathway more selectively without systemic toxicity. For high-risk patients, vaptans, PBM, and UV-A light offer a better risk-benefit profile, supporting myelination in PSP, MS, ALS, BPD, AD, and PD without the narrow therapeutic index of lithium. Lithium can be used with vaptans and protective strategies in low-risk patients, but careful monitoring is essential. This integrated approach aligns with first-principles biophysics, prioritizing UPE coherence and systemic safety.
A. Vasopressin Antagonists Across Demyelinating Diseases
- ALS:
Vasopressin Role: Elevated vasopressin may contribute to motor neuron stress via inflammation, though less studied than in MS. Vaptans could reduce inflammation in the corticospinal tract, supporting remyelination.
Lithium Comparison: Lithium’s vasopressin dysregulation (NDI) doesn’t directly address CNS inflammation in ALS, and its UPE disruption risks outweigh benefits in high-risk patients.
BPD:
Vasopressin Role: Dysregulated vasopressin in BPD (linked to HPA axis dysfunction) may exacerbate fronto-limbic inflammation, contributing to variable myelination. Vaptans could stabilize this by reducing inflammation during mood episodes.
Lithium Comparison: Lithium’s mood stabilization benefits are significant, but its vasopressin-related kidney risks (NDI) and UPE disruption make vaptans a potential adjunct to reduce inflammation without systemic toxicity.
AD/PD/PSP:
Vasopressin Role: Elevated vasopressin in AD/PD may increase inflammation in cognitive regions (hippocampus, cortex), worsening demyelination and neurodegeneration. Vaptans could mitigate this, supporting myelination in these areas.
Lithium Comparison: Lithium’s potential to promote myelination in AD/PD is offset by its kidney/thyroid risks and UPE disruption. Vaptans offer a safer anti-inflammatory approach.
- B. UV-A Light and Neuropsin: Modulating Vasopressin
Slide Insights:
UV-A light (380 nm) activates neuropsin, driving vasopressin release and influencing T3/T4, mTOR, and DHA catabolism. Lithium’s UPE effects disrupt this pathway, leading to kidney/thyroid dysfunction.
Vasopressin Antagonists and UV-A:
MS: Vaptans reduce vasopressin activity, potentially counteracting excessive UV-A/neuropsin-driven vasopressin release in inflammatory states. Controlled UV-A exposure could fine-tune this pathway, balancing vasopressin levels to support remyelination without exacerbating inflammation.
Other Diseases: UV-A light could modulate vasopressin in PSP, ALS, BPD, AD, and PD, complementing vaptans by optimizing neuropsin signaling and reducing inflammation.
C. UPE Considerations
Lithium’s UPE Disruption: Lithium’s “alien” UPE spectrum impairs biophoton signaling, potentially disrupting vasopressin regulation (via neuropsin) and myelination.
Vaptans and UPEs: Vaptans are unlikely to disrupt UPEs directly, as they target vasopressin receptors rather than mitochondrial function. They may indirectly normalize UPEs by reducing inflammation and mitochondrial stress, supporting remyelination.
Monitoring: Measure UPEs (scalp, peripheral nerves) to compare lithium vs. vaptans. If vaptans normalize UPEs more effectively (indicating reduced oxidative stress), they may be a safer option for myelination support.
3. Biophysical Risks of Lithium
Incorporating vasopressin antagonists into this analysis reinforces the concerns about lithium’s biophysical risks:
- Kidney Risk (NDI):
Lithium’s disruption of vasopressin signaling causes NDI, a risk not present with vaptans, which target vasopressin receptors more selectively. In MS, vaptans reduce CNS edema without causing systemic water loss, making them a safer option for kidney health.
Thyroid Risk:
Lithium’s UPE disruption impairs neuropsin-driven T3/T4 synthesis (slide), causing hypothyroidism. Vaptans don’t affect thyroid function directly, offering a safer profile.
- Therapeutic Index:
Vaptans have a much broader therapeutic index than lithium, with fewer systemic risks (e.g., no NDI or hypothyroidism). They can be used in high-risk patients where lithium’s risks outweigh its benefits.
Don’t you find it ironic that the pharmacodynamics of lithium’s physiologic role is unknown biochemically? This fact also leads me to believe its actions are wholly biophysical. Clinicians rely on blood levels and symptomatic response (e.g., mood stabilization, kidney function, TSH) rather than a mechanistic understanding, highlighting the empirical nature of its use. The lack of a clear biochemical target complicates dosing, as lithium’s narrow therapeutic index (0.6–1.2 mmol/L) makes toxicity a constant risk, especially given its kidney and thyroid side effects.
The known effects are biochemical hints that UPEs are behind their action. For example, we know that Lithium inhibits glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β), activating Wnt signaling and promoting OPC differentiation for remyelination, may deplete Inositol, upregulate BDNF, NGF, and VEGF, and may stabilize circadian rhythms via CLOCK gene regulation, influencing TCA cycle dynamics and beta-oxidation. Despite these effects, lithium’s primary biochemical target is unknown. Unlike most drugs, it doesn’t bind to a specific receptor or enzyme with high affinity. Its impact on GSK-3β and IMPase is non-specific and occurs at concentrations higher than therapeutic levels (0.6–1.2 mmol/L).
Lithium affects numerous pathways (e.g., GSK-3β, inositol, cyclic AMP, sodium-potassium ATPase), but no single mechanism explains its therapeutic efficacy across BPD, neuroprotection, and myelination. Lithium’s effects vary by tissue (e.g., brain, kidney, thyroid), suggesting a fundamental, non-specific interaction at the cellular level, which aligns with a biophysical rather than biochemical mode of action.
- A. Decision-Making Tree
High-Risk Patients (Kidney/Thyroid Issues):
Avoid Lithium: Use vaptans to reduce inflammation and support remyelination, combined with PBM (670 nm) and UV-A light (380 nm) to normalize UPEs and vasopressin signaling.
Alternatives: Clemastine, metformin, or valproate (for BPD) for myelination/mood stabilization.
Low-Risk Patients:
Use Lithium Cautiously: Combine with vaptans to mitigate inflammation, PBM/UV-A to normalize UPEs, and monitor closely (UPEs, TSH, renal function).
Monitoring: FUTURE
UPE measurements are used to assess the impact of treatment on biophoton signaling. This will be highly accurate, but the technology is not yet there.
TCA metabolomics (citrate, succinate) to monitor mitochondrial stress.
Urea metabolomics: ammonia, urea, arginase to monitor mitochondrial stress.
EEG/DTI for myelination status, TSH/calcium for thyroid function, and eGFR/urine osmolality for kidney function.
- Rosetta Stone with Vasopressin Antagonists
- Kidney Risk (NDI):
- 3. Should Everyone Get DTI for WMV Assessment?
Decentralized medicine should propose using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess white matter volume (WMV) and address the biophoton spectral issue.
A. Utility of DTI
- DTI Overview: DTI measures water diffusion in tissue, providing insights into white matter integrity, tract connectivity, and myelination. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) are key metrics:
High FA: Indicates intact, well-myelinated tracts.
Low FA/High MD: Suggests demyelination or axonal loss.
WMV Assessment: DTI can quantify WMV changes, reflecting demyelination or remyelination success. It can also map specific tracts (e.g., corticospinal in ALS, fronto-limbic in BPD) to correlate with UPE changes.
Biophoton Spectral Issue:
Correlation with UPEs: Aberrant UPE spectra (due to lithium) may lead to defective myelination, detectable as reduced FA or WMV on DTI. For example, in BPD, fluctuating UPEs during mood episodes could correlate with dynamic WMV changes.
Predictive Value: DTI can identify vulnerable axons (low FA) at risk from lithium-induced UPE disruptions, allowing tailored treatment adjustments.
Recommendation: DTI is a valuable tool for personalized medicine in demyelinating diseases. It should be considered for patients on lithium, especially those with CNS diseases (ALS, AD, PD, BPD), to:
Monitor remyelination success.
Detect early signs of aberrant myelination (due to UPE changes).
Guide treatment adjustments (e.g., reduce lithium dose if WMV declines).
B. Practical Considerations
Feasibility: DTI is widely available in clinical settings, but may not be necessary for all patients. Prioritize high-risk cases (e.g., CNS diseases, long-term lithium use, or signs of cognitive/motor decline).
Complementary Measures: Pair DTI with UPE spectroscopy (if feasible) to directly correlate biophoton changes with WMV. The references (e.g., Kalampouka) suggest UPEs may serve as a “biophotonic signature” of cellular state, which could be validated against DTI findings.
4. Additional Strategies for Remyelination: CNS vs. PNS
Beyond lithium, let’s explore other approaches to enhance remyelination, considering the biophysical differences between CNS and PNS diseases.
A. CNS-Specific Strategies
The CNS (e.g., ALS, AD, PD, BPD) has limited repair capacity due to oligodendrocyte constraints and a less supportive microenvironment. Strategies should focus on overcoming these barriers while addressing UPE and TCA cycle dynamics.
- Enhance OPC Recruitment:
Maximum Solar exposure 6-12 hours a day of UV-IR light
Clemastine: A muscarinic antagonist that promotes OPC differentiation and remyelination, shown to be effective in MS models. It can complement lithium’s effects, ensuring proper myelin formation despite UPE disruptions.
Metformin: Activates AMPK, enhancing OPC survival and differentiation. It also supports mitochondrial function, potentially stabilizing TCA cycle activity and UPEs.
- Support Mitochondrial Health:
MitoQ: A mitochondria-targeted antioxidant that reduces ROS, stabilizes UPEs, and protects axons during remyelination.
Ketogenic Diet: This diet provides ketone bodies as an alternative fuel, bypassing TCA cycle deficits (e.g., from circadian dysregulation), and supplying acetyl-CoA for myelin lipid synthesis.
Reduce Inflammation:
Melanin Renovation Rx mandatory.
Cold Thermogenesis is helpful, but maybe difficult in demyelination due to altered temperature regulation.
Fingolimod: An S1P receptor modulator that reduces inflammation and promotes remyelination in the CNS. It can create a more favorable environment for OPCs, counteracting lithium-induced stress.
Photobiomodulation (PBM): As suggested by the references (Thar and Kühl, 2014), PBM can modulate mitochondrial function and UPEs, potentially enhancing OPC activity and ensuring coherent biophoton signaling for remyelination.
Circadian Restoration: Morning sunlight exposure or melatonin supplementation can restore TCA cycle activity (via beta-oxidation), supporting myelin synthesis and reducing UPE aberrations.
B. PNS-Specific Strategies
The PNS (e.g., GBS, CMT) has robust repair capacity due to Schwann cells, but remyelination can still be enhanced, especially in the context of lithium use.
- Enhance Schwann Cell Activity:
Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) promotes Schwann cell proliferation and myelination. It can accelerate PNS repair, especially if lithium disrupts UPE signaling.
cAMP Agonists: Increase cyclic AMP levels, enhancing Schwann cell differentiation and myelination.
Support Axonal Regeneration:
Polyethylene Glycol (PEG): Used in nerve injury models to fuse axons, PEG can support PNS regeneration, complementing remyelination efforts.
Reduce Oxidative Stress:
Alpha-Lipoic Acid: A potent antioxidant that reduces ROS in the PNS, stabilizing UPEs and protecting axons during remyelination.
Growth Factors: Leverage lithium’s upregulation of BDNF and NGF to enhance Schwann cell-mediated repair, as the PNS is less prone to excitotoxicity than the CNS.
C. CNS vs. PNS Considerations
CNS Challenges: The CNS requires strategies to overcome inhibitory factors (e.g., Nogo-A, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans) and chronic inflammation. PBM and mitochondrial support are critical to address UPE disruptions and TCA cycle deficits.
PNS Advantages: The PNS benefits from Schwann cells’ ability to clear debris and promote regeneration. Focus on accelerating natural repair processes while minimizing lithium’s impact on UPEs.
5. Addressing the Ferredoxin Evolution Insight
The Eck and Dayhoff abstract highlights ferredoxin’s role in photon-energy utilization, suggesting its early incorporation into metabolism before complex proteins evolved. This ties into my biophoton narrative:
Ferredoxin and UPEs: Ferredoxin, an iron-sulfur protein, facilitates electron transfer in photosynthesis and other metabolic pathways. Its light-absorbing properties (via Fe-S clusters) may contribute to UPE generation in primitive systems, paralleling modern mitochondrial UPEs.
Implication for Treatment: Ferredoxin’s evolutionary role underscores the deep connection between light, metabolism, and cellular function. Enhancing light-based therapies (e.g., PBM, sunlight exposure) in demyelinating diseases aligns with this ancient mechanism, potentially restoring UPE coherence and supporting remyelination. Every cytochrome has a Fe-S cluster which is an electrical scar reminder how the system was built in the GOE, before there was food and there was abundant light. All neurodegenerative disease are due to a lack of sunlight with far too much manufactured light and this is how the systems implode.
6. A Unified Biophysical Approach
Lithium’s potential to disrupt UPE spectra poses a real risk to remyelination, particularly in the CNS, where axons are more vulnerable. Its electronic structure may introduce noise into biophoton signaling, leading to aberrant myelination and increased axonal stress. Protective strategies, antioxidants, circadian optimization, PBM, and mitochondrial support can mitigate these effects, ensuring lithium’s benefits (GSK-3β inhibition, Wnt activation, neurotrophic upregulation) are maximized without compromising UPE coherence.
DTI is a valuable tool for monitoring WMV and should be prioritized for patients on lithium, especially in CNS diseases, to detect early signs of defective remyelination. Additional remyelination strategies (e.g., clemastine, metformin, ketogenic diets) can complement lithium, with tailored approaches for CNS vs. PNS diseases. The evolutionary insight from ferredoxin reinforces the importance of light in metabolism, supporting the use of light-based therapies to restore UPE signaling and enhance repair.
The Initial Decentralized Rosetta Stone for treatment could look like this:
This framework integrates biophysics, metabolism, and clinical strategies to optimize remyelination while addressing the unique challenges of CNS and PNS diseases.
What about using MEG, EEG, ERG, or OCT as a proxy for myelination? Would any of these tests be helpful? What is TCA/urea metabolomics? What about using optogenetics and optical tweezers using biopsy to get insights on what is going on UPE-wise?
1. Using MEG, EEG, ERG, and OCT as Proxies for Myelination
These techniques measure different aspects of neural and retinal function, which can indirectly reflect myelination status due to its impact on conduction speed, neural synchronization, and tissue structure.
A. Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
- How It Works: MEG measures magnetic fields generated by neural activity, providing high temporal and spatial resolution of brain function.
- Myelination Proxy:
Myelination enhances the speed and synchronization of neural signaling. Demyelination slows conduction, leading to desynchronized neural activity, which can manifest as altered MEG signals (e.g., delayed latencies, reduced coherence in oscillatory activity).
MEG could detect motor cortex desynchronization in diseases like ALS due to corticospinal tract demyelination. Disrupted connectivity in cognitive networks (e.g., fronto-limbic, hippocampal, or cortico-basal ganglia circuits) might be revealed in BPD, AD, and PD. PSP might not be the best for MEG.
Utility: MEG is highly sensitive to functional changes caused by demyelination, making it a good proxy for assessing myelination in specific brain regions. It can also track remyelination progress (e.g., during lithium treatment) by measuring improved neural synchrony.
Limitations: MEG doesn’t directly measure myelin structure; it infers myelination through functional changes. It’s also expensive and less widely available than EEG.
B. Electroencephalography (EEG)
How It Works: EEG records electrical activity on the scalp, reflecting cortical activity with high temporal resolution but lower spatial resolution than MEG.
- Myelination Proxy:
Demyelination delays neural conduction, altering EEG patterns such as increased latency in event-related potentials (ERPs) (e.g., P300) or reduced power in high-frequency bands (e.g., gamma oscillations, 30–100 Hz), which rely on fast, myelinated connections.
In ALS, EEG might show motor cortex abnormalities without cognitive changes. In BPD, fluctuating EEG patterns (e.g., theta power changes) could correlate with variable cognitive impairment. In AD and PD, reduced alpha power or slowed rhythms might reflect demyelination in cognitive networks.
Utility: EEG is a cost-effective, widely available tool to monitor functional changes linked to myelination. It can assess the impact of lithium on neural activity (e.g., detect hyperexcitability from BDNF/NGF upregulation) and track remyelination by measuring restored conduction speeds.
Limitations: EEG lacks spatial precision and cannot directly visualize myelin. It’s also sensitive to artifacts (e.g., muscle activity).
C. Electroretinography (ERG)
How It Works: ERG measures electrical responses of the retina to light, assessing retinal cell function (e.g., photoreceptors, bipolar cells).
- Myelination Proxy:
While the retina is not myelinated (except for the optic nerve), ERG can indirectly reflect myelination status in the optic nerve (CNS) and visual pathways. Demyelination in the optic nerve (e.g., in MS, which shares mechanisms with ALS, BPD, AD, PD) delays signal transmission, reducing ERG amplitudes or increasing latencies. ERG might be ideal for PSP.
In AD and PD, retinal thinning (linked to neurodegeneration) may correlate with optic nerve demyelination, detectable via ERG changes.
Utility: ERG is useful for diseases with optic nerve involvement (e.g., MS, AD, PD) but less relevant for ALS or BPD unless visual pathways are affected. It can complement other measures to assess CNS myelination in visual systems.
Limitations: ERG’s scope is limited to the visual system, and its sensitivity to myelination changes may be indirect.
D. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
How It Works: OCT uses light to create high-resolution images of retinal layers, measuring the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness.
Myelination Proxy:
The RNFL consists of unmyelinated axons in the retina, which become myelinated in the optic nerve. Demyelination in the optic nerve (CNS) can lead to retrograde degeneration, thinning the RNFL and GCL, which OCT can detect.
In AD, PD, and MS, RNFL thinning correlates with optic nerve demyelination and broader CNS pathology. In ALS, RNFL changes might be minimal unless optic nerve involvement occurs. PSP can show defects.
Utility: OCT is a noninvasive, precise tool for indirectly assessing optic nerve myelination via retinal changes. It’s advantageous in AD and PD, where retinal thinning reflects global neurodegeneration, and can monitor remyelination progress (e.g., RNFL stabilization with lithium).
Limitations: OCT is specific to the visual system and doesn’t assess myelination in other brain regions. It also reflects axonal loss, not just demyelination. It all begins to fall apart in the eyes and later the skin. The eyes usually allowed enough solar exposure to keep the system from tilting. Today, everyone covered their eyes with something they shouldn’t. This pressures the skin which is not as effective letting light into the brain as the eyes. As a result when eyes and skin are blocked the gut dysbiosis is a sign both are high noise to signal quality based on the mechanisms in these 4 blogs.
E. Summary of Utility
- Best Proxies:
MEG and EEG are best for assessing functional changes due to myelination across the brain. EEG is more practical for widespread use, while MEG offers higher precision for research settings.
OCT: Best for visualizing structural changes linked to optic nerve myelination, especially in AD, PD, and MS.
ERG: Useful for functional assessment of visual pathways but less broadly applicable.
Recommendation: EEG can be used as a primary proxy for myelination in clinical settings due to its accessibility and sensitivity to conduction changes. In diseases with visual involvement (AD, PD), it can be combined with OCT to assess optic nerve myelination. MEG can be reserved for detailed research studies.
2. TCA Cycle Metabolomics: Assessing Myelination and UPEs
TCA cycle metabolomics involves measuring metabolites (e.g., citrate, succinate, malate) to assess mitochondrial function, which is critical for myelin synthesis, UPE production, and neural health.
A. How TCA Metabolomics Relates to Myelination and UPEs
TCA Cycle and Myelin: The TCA cycle produces citrate, a precursor for acetyl-CoA in myelin lipid synthesis. Disruptions (e.g., from circadian dysregulation, as per my tweets) reduce citrate, impairing myelination.
TCA Cycle and UPEs: TCA cycle activity drives OXPHOS, generating ROS and UPEs. As discussed previously, aberrant TCA dynamics (e.g., from lithium) can alter UPE spectra.
- Metabolomics Approach:
Measure Key Metabolites: Use mass spectrometry or NMR to quantify TCA intermediates (e.g., citrate, alpha-ketoglutarate, succinate) in blood, CSF, or tissue samples.
Correlate with Myelination: Low citrate levels may indicate impaired myelin synthesis, which is correlated with DTI (reduced FA) or EEG/MEG (delayed latencies).
Correlate with UPEs: Altered TCA metabolites (e.g., high succinate, low citrate) may reflect mitochondrial stress, increasing ROS and UPEs, which can be measured via spectroscopy.
B. Utility in Demyelinating Diseases
ALS: Reduced citrate and increased succinate may reflect motor neuron mitochondrial dysfunction, correlating with corticospinal tract demyelination (detectable via EEG/MEG).
BPD: Fluctuating TCA metabolites (e.g., citrate levels varying with mood states) may correlate with variable myelination in fronto-limbic tracts, mirrored by EEG changes.
AD and PD: Chronically low citrate and high succinate may indicate widespread mitochondrial dysfunction, correlating with hippocampal/cortical demyelination (OCT, EEG) and elevated UPEs.
Lithium Impact: Lithium’s effect on TCA cycle dynamics (via GSK-3β/Wnt) can be monitored. For example, if citrate levels drop (indicating reduced myelin synthesis), this may align with aberrant UPE spectra and EEG delays.
C. Recommendation
- TCA metabolomics is a powerful tool to assess mitochondrial health, myelination capacity, and UPE changes. It can be paired with EEG/MEG (functional) and OCT/DTI (structural) to provide a comprehensive picture of demyelination and remyelination. For example:
Low citrate + EEG delays + reduced FA on DTI → Impaired myelination.
High succinate + elevated UPEs + RNFL thinning on OCT → Mitochondrial stress and optic nerve demyelination.
3. Optogenetics and Optical Tweezers for UPE Insights
Optogenetics and optical tweezers offer innovative ways to study UPEs in biopsy samples, providing insights into biophoton signaling in demyelinating diseases.
A. Optogenetics
How It Works: Optogenetics uses light-sensitive proteins (e.g., channelrhodopsin) to control cellular activity with light. In a biopsy context, cells (e.g., oligodendrocytes, neurons) can be transfected with these proteins and stimulated with light to study their responses.
- Application to UPEs:
Stimulate Mitochondria: Use optogenetics to activate mitochondrial channels (e.g., targeting complex I or IV) in biopsy-derived cells, modulating OXPHOS and ROS production. Measure the resulting UPE changes via spectroscopy.
Assess UPE Signaling: Stimulate cells in specific regions (e.g., Nodes of Ranvier) and observe if UPEs propagate to adjacent cells (e.g., via tubulin networks, as per Kurian et al., 2017), testing the non-chemical signaling hypothesis (Mould et al., 2023).
Disease Context: In ALS biopsy samples (e.g., motor cortex), optogenetics can reveal how UPEs differ in demyelinated vs. healthy nodes. AD/PD can assess UPE changes in cognitive regions (hippocampus, cortex).
Utility: Optogenetics can directly test UPE’s role in cellular communication, correlating biophoton changes with myelination status (e.g., via co-imaging with myelin markers). It can also assess lithium’s impact on UPE spectra by comparing treated vs. untreated cells.
B. Optical Tweezers
How It Works: Optical tweezers use focused laser beams to manipulate microscopic objects (e.g., mitochondria, vesicles) with high precision.
- Application to UPEs:
Isolate Mitochondria: In biopsy samples, use optical tweezers to isolate mitochondria from specific cell types (e.g., oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells) and measure their UPE emissions under controlled conditions (e.g., varying TCA cycle substrates like citrate or succinate).
Study UPE Propagation: Position mitochondria near tubulin networks or other cellular structures and measure UPE propagation, testing the hypothesis that biophotons travel via resonance energy transfer (Kurian et al., 2017).
Lithium Effects: Compare UPE spectra in mitochondria from lithium-treated vs. untreated biopsy samples, quantifying the “alien” UPE spectrum you mentioned.
Utility: Optical tweezers provide a controlled way to study UPE dynamics at the organelle level, offering insights into how mitochondrial dysfunction and lithium affect biophoton signaling in demyelinating diseases.
C. Practical Considerations
Biopsy Challenges: Obtaining brain or nerve biopsies is invasive and typically reserved for research or severe cases. For initial studies, use post-mortem tissue or animal models.
UPE Detection: Requires sensitive photomultiplier tubes or CCD cameras to detect ultraweak emissions, as noted in the references (Kalampouka et al.). Combine with optogenetics/optical tweezers for precise control.
- Disease Insights:
ALS: Optogenetics may reveal motor-specific UPE elevations, while optical tweezers can isolate mitochondria from motor neurons to study TCA cycle-UPE links.
BPD: Assess UPE fluctuations in fronto-limbic regions, correlating with TCA metabolomics (e.g., citrate levels).
AD/PD: Study chronic UPE elevations in cognitive regions, linking to mitochondrial dysfunction and demyelination.
D. Recommendation
Optogenetics and optical tweezers are powerful research tools for studying UPEs in demyelinating diseases. These can be used in a decentralized center that melds research and clinical work. Using live biopsies for UPE assessments will replace the frozen section techniques we use today in glioma diagnosis. They can confirm UPE’s role in cellular signaling, quantify lithium’s impact on biophoton spectra, and correlate UPE changes with TCA cycle dynamics. We could start with animal models or post-mortem tissue, focusing on regions affected by each disease (e.g., motor cortex in ALS, hippocampus in AD). I think using live biopsies is the path to winning now.
4. Integrating These Approaches
MEG/EEG/OCT as Proxies: EEG is the most practical proxy for myelination, detecting functional changes (e.g., delayed latencies) in real-time, and can be paired with OCT for structural insights in visual pathways (AD, PD). MEG is ideal for decentralized research settings, while ERG is less broadly applicable.
TCA Metabolomics: Measuring TCA intermediates (e.g., citrate, succinate) provides a direct link between mitochondrial function, myelination, and UPEs. It can guide treatment (e.g., adjust lithium dose if citrate drops) and predict outcomes (e.g., high succinate → increased UPEs → worse demyelination).
Optogenetics and Optical Tweezers: These techniques offer groundbreaking insights into UPE dynamics, confirming biophoton signaling (as per Mould et al., 2023) and quantifying lithium’s effects. They can validate the hypothesis that UPE disruptions impair remyelination, guiding protective strategies.
The Rosetta Stone With Treatments
- This framework integrates functional (EEG/MEG), structural (OCT), metabolic (TCA metabolomics), and biophysical (optogenetics/optical tweezers) tools to assess myelination, UPEs, and treatment effects in CNS and PNS diseases. It supports personalized decentralized medicine by identifying patients at risk of lithium-induced UPE disruptions and guiding protective strategies.
THIS ENDS PART 4.