Science News & Science Current Events
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Natural product discovery by Cleveland medical researchers blocks tissue destruction

Natural product discovery by Cleveland medical researchers blocks tissue destruction

October 25, 2007

Findings published in prestigious Journal of Inflammation

CLEVELAND - Scientists at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine have published in the Journal of Inflammation a remarkable discovery with a natural product derived from the Amazon rainforest. The discovery's unique actions suggest a broad set of applications in various joint, skin and gastrointestinal diseases, including osteoarthritis and irritable bowel syndrome.




The publication revealed that Progrado®, an extract from a rainforest tree called Croton palanostigma, was a remarkably potent antioxidant and prevented the destruction of human cartilage by molecular s scissors called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). According to the researchers, these enzymes cut collagen, which forms the backbone of the cartilage, into tiny pieces during states of inflammation and alter the fabric that holds tissues together.

"This is an exciting finding," said Tariq Haqqi, professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals of Cleveland and the lead investigator and senior author of the study. "This is the first time a natural product has been shown to directly block these molecular scissors while showing potential to stimulate repair. This is a testament to the wound healing properties of this traditional medicine and the distinctive therapeutic opportunities that nature offers."

Haqqi's research partner, Rainforest Nutritionals Inc., of Raleigh, N.C., develops innovative therapeutics from natural products and worked with the university on the discovery of Progrado®.

Rainforest Nutritionals, along with Haqqi, also developed Reparagen®, a natural product for joint health, with a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which also awarded the company with an Innovation Research Award to foster Reparagen's® development and commercialization.

Paul Bobrowski, co-author of the study and vice president of Rainforest Nutritionals, said Progrado's® molecular targets are highly prized and could lead to a range of therapeutic innovations for conditions ranging from arthritis, irritable bowel disease and wrinkles based on their involvement in tissue injury/repair and aging.

"The publication of these results reflects the commitment that Rainforest Nutritionals has to scientific excellence and innovation using products derived from nature to promote health and an improved quality of life," Bobrowski said. "These results also build on our success with the highly-effective natural product for joint health, Reparagen®, with our NIH-funded preclinical research performed in collaboration with Dr. Haqqi."

Case Western Reserve University



Related Tissue Destruction Current Events and Tissue Destruction News Articles Tissue Destruction Current Events and Tissue Destruction News RSS Tissue Destruction Current Events and Tissue Destruction News RSS
Rodent study shows that chronic drinking can lead to severe pneumonia after surgery
People who drink often have immune-function problems following surgery. For example, patients who consume alcohol long-term have a two- to five-fold greater chance of post-operation infection complications.

The most important candidate genes for pancreatic stone formation
Stone formation is an important feature of chronic pancreatitis, especially tropical calcific pancreatitis (TCP), where the stones are large in size, highly irregular in shape and cause enormous tissue destruction.

Cryoablation is a safe procedure for breast cancer patients, early results indicate
Ultrasound-guided cryoablation of small breast cancer may be a safe procedure associated with minimal morbidity and high patient satisfaction.

New NIAID program aims to model immune responses and key infectious diseases
A new program at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), aims to better understand the complex biochemical networks that regulate the interactions between infectious organisms and the human or animal cells they infect.

Bronchial thermoplasty offers significant improvement for asthmatics in small study
Asthmatic patients showed significant improvement in peak expiratory flow, airway responsiveness and number of symptom-free days after treatment with bronchial thermoplasty, a new procedure designed to reduce the ability of airway smooth muscle to narrow from inflammation.

Scientists directly view immune cells interacting to avert autoimmunity
Using a new form of microscopy to penetrate living lymph nodes, UCSF scientists have for the first time viewed immune cells at work, helping clarify how T cells control autoimmunity.

Large sinus tumors can be removed endoscopically, study finds
Large tumors that block the sinuses can be removed endoscopically through the nose rather than through big incisions in the face, a new study finds.

Tissue stiffness drives tumor formation
The relationship between tissue rigidity and tumor formation is fairly well established; however, what is not so well understood is what happens on a molecular level that contributes to such stiffness.

Mayo Clinic study demonstrates patients' multiple sclerosis lesion type dictates effective treatment
A Mayo Clinic study demonstrates that only those multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with evidence for antibody deposition or complement activation - immune cells that can cause tissue destruction - in their lesions are likely to respond to plasma exchange, a treatment for acute MS attacks.

A protein in the eye may prevent immune response and protect eyes from disease
Scientists at The Schepens Eye Research Institute have discovered that a protein known as F4/80 found on immune cells in the eye and other parts of the body may have a function in the regulation of the body's immune response and protect delicate tissues that cannot survive the "inflammation" inherent in full-blown immunity.
More Tissue Destruction Current Events and Tissue Destruction News Articles


Periodontal Tissue Destruction And Remodeling
by Ozen Tuncer, Serdar Mutlu, Crispian Scully

Istanbul Univ., Turkey. Text consists of the proceedings of the 30th Scientific Congress of the Turkish Society of Periodontology, held in Antalya, Turkey, August 27-September 2,...

Mechanisms of Hard Tissue Destruction
by Reidar Sognnaws



Multiple Sclerosis: tissue destruction and repair
by Ludwig Kappos, Jurg Kesselring, EW Radu, Kenneth Johnson

This volume includes the latest developments, both in research and the clinic. Published in Association with the European and American Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS & ACTRIMS). Following on from three previous books in the Frontiers of Multiple Sclerosis series the editors have selected a range of further subjects for analysis This volume includes the latest...

Multiple Sclerosis Tissue Destruction and Repair
by Et al. Kappos

mechanisms of hard tissue Destruction
by Reidar F., Ed Sognnaes

NIH Guidelines Promote Destruction of Life.(National Institutes of Health): An article from: National Right to Life News
by Richard M. Doerflinger

This digital document is an article from National Right to Life News, published by National Right to Life Committee, Inc. on December 1, 1999. The length of the article is 2116 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web...

© 2008 BrightSurf.com