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Spicy Remedy?

Spicy Remedy? A constituent of turmeric, the spice that gives curry and mustard their vivid yellow hue, might have potential for treating cystic fibrosis (CF), according to scientists in the United States and Canada who used the substance to correct the defect in mice with a form of CF (Science. 2004;304:600-602). Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in a gene that encodes the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common form of the disease is caused by the mutation ΔF508, which produces a misfolded CFTR protein that is unable to move to the cell surface to transport chloride ions and water into and out of cells. As a result, the lungs and gastrointestinal tract become clogged with a thick mucus. The researchers found that curcumin, a major constituent of turmeric, corrected the defect in cultured cells, allowing the CFTR protein to move to its proper place on the cell surface. When they fed curcumin to CF mice with two copies of the ΔF508 mutation, the animals' nasal and rectal epithelia regained nearly normal function. Such mice are extremely susceptible to death due to gastrointestinal obstruction; those fed curcumin were much less likely to die of this problem compared with untreated mice. Curcumin and derivatives "represent promising new candidate compounds that may prove useful in the search for small-molecule pharmacotherapies for CF and other protein-folding diseases," the researchers noted. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png JAMA American Medical Association

Spicy Remedy?

Stephenson, Joan
JAMA , Volume 291 (19) – May 19, 2004
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Spicy Remedy?

Abstract

A constituent of turmeric, the spice that gives curry and mustard their vivid yellow hue, might have potential for treating cystic fibrosis (CF), according to scientists in the United States and Canada who used the substance to correct the defect in mice with a form of CF (Science. 2004;304:600-602). Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in a gene that encodes the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common form of the disease is caused by the mutation...
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Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
0098-7484
eISSN
1538-3598
DOI
10.1001/jama.291.19.2309-c
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

A constituent of turmeric, the spice that gives curry and mustard their vivid yellow hue, might have potential for treating cystic fibrosis (CF), according to scientists in the United States and Canada who used the substance to correct the defect in mice with a form of CF (Science. 2004;304:600-602). Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in a gene that encodes the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common form of the disease is caused by the mutation ΔF508, which produces a misfolded CFTR protein that is unable to move to the cell surface to transport chloride ions and water into and out of cells. As a result, the lungs and gastrointestinal tract become clogged with a thick mucus. The researchers found that curcumin, a major constituent of turmeric, corrected the defect in cultured cells, allowing the CFTR protein to move to its proper place on the cell surface. When they fed curcumin to CF mice with two copies of the ΔF508 mutation, the animals' nasal and rectal epithelia regained nearly normal function. Such mice are extremely susceptible to death due to gastrointestinal obstruction; those fed curcumin were much less likely to die of this problem compared with untreated mice. Curcumin and derivatives "represent promising new candidate compounds that may prove useful in the search for small-molecule pharmacotherapies for CF and other protein-folding diseases," the researchers noted.

Journal

JAMA – American Medical Association

Published: May 19, 2004

Keywords: mutation,cystic fibrosis,curcumin,cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator,mice,tumeric

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