Spice Therapy? A potential new treatment for cystic fibrosis comes from a surprising source: turmeric, the spice that makes mustard yellow and gives curries their hallmark taste. NIGMS grantee Michael Caplan of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, found that feeding curcumin (the intense yellow pigment in turmeric) to mice prone to developing cystic fibrosis dramatically cut the experimental animals' death rate. The mouse studies are promising enough that the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has begun a small clinical trial with curcumin in people with cystic fibrosis. In cystic fibrosis, thick mucus clogs the lungs and other organs. In most people with the condition, the root cause of the excess mucus is the loss of function of a protein that forms a channel to control the flow of chloride into and out of cells. In diseased cells, policing mechanisms automatically quarantine the channel protein, which hasn't folded properly, to a waste bin where it is later destroyed. With the channel confined, chloride (a component of common table salt) is trapped inside the cells, leading to a thickening of mucus that traps bacteria and causes life-threatening infections. Based on what Caplan knew about curcumin's chemical properties, he suspected that the spice might be working by interrupting the protein quarantining process. This would let the channel protein—still reasonably effective in ejecting chloride—do its job. Caplan confirmed the hunch with experiments showing that curcumin restored normal chloride flow out of cells. While the findings are encouraging, people should not self-medicate with curcumin, Caplan advises. Scientists do not yet know, for example, if the substance, sold as a dietary supplement, might interact with prescription drugs. —A.D. Source: October issue "Findings" published by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Online at http://www.nigms.nih.gov/news/findings/oct04/bedside_oct.html Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.