Ironjustic
Tue, May-15-07, 16:15
Glucosamine-like supplement inhibits multiple sclerosis, type
1 diabetes
Metabolic therapy shows promise for treating autoimmune
diseases, UC Irvine study finds
Irvine, Calif., May 14, 2007 A glucosamine-like dietary
supplement has been found to suppress the damaging autoimmune
response seen in multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes
mellitus, according to University of California, Irvine health
sciences researchers.
In studies on mice, Dr. Michael Demetriou and colleagues with
the UC Irvine Center for Immunology found that
N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), which is similar but more
effective than the widely available glucosamine, inhibited the
growth and function of abnormal T-cells that incorrectly
direct the immune system to attack specific tissues in the
body, such as brain myelin in MS and insulin-producing cells
of the pancreas in diabetes. Study results appear on the
online version of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
"This finding shows the potential of using a dietary
supplement to help treat autoimmune diseases," said Demetriou,
an assistant professor of neurology, and microbiology and
molecular genetics. "Most importantly, we understand how this
sugar-based supplement inhibits the cells that attack the
body, making metabolic therapy a rational approach to prevent
or treat these debilitating diseases."
The UC Irvine study defines how metabolic therapy with the
sugar GlcNAc and other related nutrients modifies the growth
and autoimmune activitiy of T-cells. Virtually all proteins on
the surface of cells, including T-cells, are modified with
complex sugars of variable lengths and composition. Recent
studies have shown that changes in these sugars are often
associated with T-cell hyperactivity and autoimmune disease.
In mouse models of both MS and type 1 diabetes, Demetriou and
colleages found that GlcNAc prevented this hyperactivity and
autoimmune response by increasing sugar modifications to the
T-cell proteins. This therapy normalized T-cell function and
prevented development of paralysis in MS and high blood
glucose levels in type 1 diabetes.
This study comes on the heels of others showing the potential
of GlcNAc in humans. One previous clinical study reported that
8 of 12 children with treatment-resistant autoimmune
inflammatory bowel disease improved significantly following
two years of treatment with GlcNAc. No significant adverse
side effects were noted.
"Together, these findings identify metabolic therapy using
dietary supplements such as GlcNAc as potential treatments for
autoimmune diseases." Demetriou said. "Excitement for this
treatment strategy stems from the novel mechanism for
affecting T-cell function and autoimmunity and the
availability and simplicity of its use. However, additional
studies in humans will be required to assess the full
potential of this therapeutic approach."
Autoimmune diseases such as MS and type 1 diabetes mellitus
result from poorly understood interactions between inherited
genetic risk and environmental exposure. MS results in
neurological dysfunction, while uncontrolled blood glucose in
type 1 diabetes can lead to damage of multiple organs.
Ani Grigorian, Sung-Uk Lee, Wenqiang Tian, I-Ju Chen and
Guoyan Gao of UC Irvine and Richard Mendelsohn and James W.
Dennis of the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute in Toronto
participated in the study, which was funded by the National
Institutes of Health, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society,
the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Wadsworth
Foundation and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
About the University of California, Irvine: The University of
California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to
research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965,
UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California
campuses, with more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate
students and about 1,800 faculty members. The second-largest
employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual
economic impact of $3.7 billion. For more UCI news, visit
www.today.uci.edu.
Television: UCI has a broadcast studio available for live or
taped interviews. For more information, visit
www.today.uci.edu/broadcast.
News Radio: UCI maintains on campus an ISDN line for
conducting interviews with its faculty and experts. The use of
this line is available free-of-charge to radio news
programs/stations who wish to interview UCI faculty and
experts. Use of the ISDN line is subject to availability and
approval by the university.
---------------------------------------------------------
----------
Source: Thomas Jefferson University Released: Mon 28-Nov-2005,
15:40 ET
Printer-friendly Version
Over-the-Counter Arthritis Drug Might Help Against MS
Libraries Medical News Keywords MS, ARTHRITIS Contact
Information
Available for logged-in reporters only Description
Glucosamine, the over-the counter natural product that has
been touted to help with joint and cartilage problems
associated with arthritis, may also provide some relief to
individuals with multiple sclerosis
(MS).
Newswise - Glucosamine, the over-the counter natural product
that has been touted to help with joint and cartilage problems
associated with arthritis, may also provide some relief to
individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), a degenerative,
nervous system disease with no known cure.
Using a mouse model of MS, neurologists at Jefferson Medical
College found that doses of glucosamine similar to those taken
for osteoarthritis dramatically delayed the onset of symptoms
and improved the animals' ability to move and walk.
The scientists, led by A. M. Rostami, M.D., Ph.D., professor
and chair of the Department of Neurology at Jefferson Medical
College of Thomas Jefferson University and the Jefferson
Hospital for Neuroscience in Philadelphia, and Guang-Xian
Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology at
Jefferson Medical College, say the treatment's
anti-inflammatory effects may be useful in conjunction with
more mainstream therapies such as beta-interferon in helping
patients with MS to delay or perhaps stave off some of the
debilitating effects of the disease. They report their
findings in the December 1, 2005 of The Journal of Immunology.
"It would be fantastic if glucosamine works in humans
because we have a product that has a long track record for
safety, and most importantly, can be given orally," says Dr.
Rostami, who is also director of the Neuroimmunology
Laboratory in the Department of Neurology at Jefferson
Medical College. He notes that current treatments for MS are
given by injection. He hopes to test glucosamine in clinical
trials in the near future.
MS, one of the most common neurological diseases affecting
young adults, is thought to be an autoimmune disease (in which
the body attacks its own tissue) affecting the central nervous
system (CNS). In MS, the myelin coating of nerve fibers
becomes inflamed and scarred. As a result, "messages" cannot
be sent through the nervous system.
MT. Rostami and his group used an animal model of MS called
experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which
mimics the human disease, to investigate glucosamine's
potential immune system-suppressing properties. Such
animals gradually develop the disease.
In the studies, some of the mice received glucosamine, while
others did not.
They gave glucosamine to the mice three ways: orally,
intraperitoneally and intravenously. They also tested the drug
in one set of animals before the onset of symptoms, and in
another group at the time the animals began to show symptoms.
In each case, the researchers showed they could
significantly prolong the onset of disease. That is, those
animals that got glucosamine took longer to get ill and once
they became ill, the disease was much less severe. It was
just as effective when given early in the disease or when
the animals became sick.
They examined the animals' spinal cords and found less
inflammation and "demyelination" in those that were given
glucosamine.
"As a therapy, it might be used in combination with other
proven treatments, such as beta-interferon and copaxone," says
Dr. Rostami.
The research team has some ideas of how glucosamine exerts its
effects. According to Dr. Rostami, EAE and MS are caused by
abnormal responses from the immune system's T cells. There are
two types: TH1, which promotes inflammation, and TH2, which is
anti-inflammatory. "We've shown the glucosamine modulates the
immune response by producing more TH2 responses, suppressing
brain inflammation," he says. "At the same time, it suppresses
TH1 response."
The researchers currently are testing the effectiveness of
combinations of glucosamine and standard drugs for MS in the
same mouse model to look for adverse effects. They are also
trying to find out if glucosamine can suppress the relapses in
the relapsing/remitting form of the disease.
Relapsing/remitting is the most common form of MS. Patients
experience clearly defined "flare-ups," acute episodes in
which neurological functions worsen, followed by partial or
complete recovery periods.
Over 400,000 Americans acknowledge having MS; however, many
neurologists believe that nearly one million Americans are
living with MS in the United States today. Symptoms can
include fatigue, loss of coordination, muscle weakness,
numbness, inability to walk or use hands and arms, pain,
vision problems, slurred speech, decline in the ability to
think and reason, and bladder/bowel dysfunction.
--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------= =AD-----
=A9 2005 Newswise. All Rights Reserved.
--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------= =AD-----
<<snip>> The results indicated that these complexes could be
used in eliminating the excess iron(III) in living
organisms. <<snip>>
J Inorg Biochem. 2002 Apr 28;89(3-4):212-8. Related
Articles, Links
Aqueous and solid complexes of iron(III) with hyaluronic acid.
Potentiometric titrations and infrared spectroscopy studies.
Merce AL, Marques Carrera LC, Santos Romanholi LK, Lobo Recio
MA.
Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal do Parana, CP
19081, Centro Politecnico, Curitiba, 81531-990, Brazil.
aname...@quimica.ufpr.br
The coordination of iron(III) ion to hyaluronic acid (Hyal) in
aqueous solutions and solid state was accomplished by
potentiometric titrations and infrared spectroscopy. The
potentiometric titration studies provided the binding
constants for the complexes found in the systems and the
speciation of these species according to the variation of pH
values. The complexes found presented a complexing ability
through both the chelating moieties of Hyal (via the
N-glucosamine and D-glucoronic acid), showing no special
preference for either one while in solid state, but when in
aqueous solution the complexation via the N-glucosamine moiety
was the preferred, forming two complexed species, ML and ML(2)
(log K(ML)=3D8.2 and log K(ML2)=3D7.9). The presence of a
mu-oxo complex via the D-glucoronic acid was also detected in
both aqueous (log K=3D6.7) and solid states via the
N-glucosamine and D-glucoronic acid simultaneously linked to
two Hyal chains. A structure for this latter complex was
suggested. The results indicated that these complexes could be
used in eliminating the excess iron(III) in living organisms.
PMID: 12062125 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
--------------------------------------------------------------
-------------
------
Who loves ya. Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian! http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com
Man Is A Herbivore! http://tinyurl.com/a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk
1 diabetes
Metabolic therapy shows promise for treating autoimmune
diseases, UC Irvine study finds
Irvine, Calif., May 14, 2007 A glucosamine-like dietary
supplement has been found to suppress the damaging autoimmune
response seen in multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes
mellitus, according to University of California, Irvine health
sciences researchers.
In studies on mice, Dr. Michael Demetriou and colleagues with
the UC Irvine Center for Immunology found that
N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), which is similar but more
effective than the widely available glucosamine, inhibited the
growth and function of abnormal T-cells that incorrectly
direct the immune system to attack specific tissues in the
body, such as brain myelin in MS and insulin-producing cells
of the pancreas in diabetes. Study results appear on the
online version of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
"This finding shows the potential of using a dietary
supplement to help treat autoimmune diseases," said Demetriou,
an assistant professor of neurology, and microbiology and
molecular genetics. "Most importantly, we understand how this
sugar-based supplement inhibits the cells that attack the
body, making metabolic therapy a rational approach to prevent
or treat these debilitating diseases."
The UC Irvine study defines how metabolic therapy with the
sugar GlcNAc and other related nutrients modifies the growth
and autoimmune activitiy of T-cells. Virtually all proteins on
the surface of cells, including T-cells, are modified with
complex sugars of variable lengths and composition. Recent
studies have shown that changes in these sugars are often
associated with T-cell hyperactivity and autoimmune disease.
In mouse models of both MS and type 1 diabetes, Demetriou and
colleages found that GlcNAc prevented this hyperactivity and
autoimmune response by increasing sugar modifications to the
T-cell proteins. This therapy normalized T-cell function and
prevented development of paralysis in MS and high blood
glucose levels in type 1 diabetes.
This study comes on the heels of others showing the potential
of GlcNAc in humans. One previous clinical study reported that
8 of 12 children with treatment-resistant autoimmune
inflammatory bowel disease improved significantly following
two years of treatment with GlcNAc. No significant adverse
side effects were noted.
"Together, these findings identify metabolic therapy using
dietary supplements such as GlcNAc as potential treatments for
autoimmune diseases." Demetriou said. "Excitement for this
treatment strategy stems from the novel mechanism for
affecting T-cell function and autoimmunity and the
availability and simplicity of its use. However, additional
studies in humans will be required to assess the full
potential of this therapeutic approach."
Autoimmune diseases such as MS and type 1 diabetes mellitus
result from poorly understood interactions between inherited
genetic risk and environmental exposure. MS results in
neurological dysfunction, while uncontrolled blood glucose in
type 1 diabetes can lead to damage of multiple organs.
Ani Grigorian, Sung-Uk Lee, Wenqiang Tian, I-Ju Chen and
Guoyan Gao of UC Irvine and Richard Mendelsohn and James W.
Dennis of the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute in Toronto
participated in the study, which was funded by the National
Institutes of Health, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society,
the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Wadsworth
Foundation and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
About the University of California, Irvine: The University of
California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to
research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965,
UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California
campuses, with more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate
students and about 1,800 faculty members. The second-largest
employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual
economic impact of $3.7 billion. For more UCI news, visit
www.today.uci.edu.
Television: UCI has a broadcast studio available for live or
taped interviews. For more information, visit
www.today.uci.edu/broadcast.
News Radio: UCI maintains on campus an ISDN line for
conducting interviews with its faculty and experts. The use of
this line is available free-of-charge to radio news
programs/stations who wish to interview UCI faculty and
experts. Use of the ISDN line is subject to availability and
approval by the university.
---------------------------------------------------------
----------
Source: Thomas Jefferson University Released: Mon 28-Nov-2005,
15:40 ET
Printer-friendly Version
Over-the-Counter Arthritis Drug Might Help Against MS
Libraries Medical News Keywords MS, ARTHRITIS Contact
Information
Available for logged-in reporters only Description
Glucosamine, the over-the counter natural product that has
been touted to help with joint and cartilage problems
associated with arthritis, may also provide some relief to
individuals with multiple sclerosis
(MS).
Newswise - Glucosamine, the over-the counter natural product
that has been touted to help with joint and cartilage problems
associated with arthritis, may also provide some relief to
individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), a degenerative,
nervous system disease with no known cure.
Using a mouse model of MS, neurologists at Jefferson Medical
College found that doses of glucosamine similar to those taken
for osteoarthritis dramatically delayed the onset of symptoms
and improved the animals' ability to move and walk.
The scientists, led by A. M. Rostami, M.D., Ph.D., professor
and chair of the Department of Neurology at Jefferson Medical
College of Thomas Jefferson University and the Jefferson
Hospital for Neuroscience in Philadelphia, and Guang-Xian
Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology at
Jefferson Medical College, say the treatment's
anti-inflammatory effects may be useful in conjunction with
more mainstream therapies such as beta-interferon in helping
patients with MS to delay or perhaps stave off some of the
debilitating effects of the disease. They report their
findings in the December 1, 2005 of The Journal of Immunology.
"It would be fantastic if glucosamine works in humans
because we have a product that has a long track record for
safety, and most importantly, can be given orally," says Dr.
Rostami, who is also director of the Neuroimmunology
Laboratory in the Department of Neurology at Jefferson
Medical College. He notes that current treatments for MS are
given by injection. He hopes to test glucosamine in clinical
trials in the near future.
MS, one of the most common neurological diseases affecting
young adults, is thought to be an autoimmune disease (in which
the body attacks its own tissue) affecting the central nervous
system (CNS). In MS, the myelin coating of nerve fibers
becomes inflamed and scarred. As a result, "messages" cannot
be sent through the nervous system.
MT. Rostami and his group used an animal model of MS called
experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which
mimics the human disease, to investigate glucosamine's
potential immune system-suppressing properties. Such
animals gradually develop the disease.
In the studies, some of the mice received glucosamine, while
others did not.
They gave glucosamine to the mice three ways: orally,
intraperitoneally and intravenously. They also tested the drug
in one set of animals before the onset of symptoms, and in
another group at the time the animals began to show symptoms.
In each case, the researchers showed they could
significantly prolong the onset of disease. That is, those
animals that got glucosamine took longer to get ill and once
they became ill, the disease was much less severe. It was
just as effective when given early in the disease or when
the animals became sick.
They examined the animals' spinal cords and found less
inflammation and "demyelination" in those that were given
glucosamine.
"As a therapy, it might be used in combination with other
proven treatments, such as beta-interferon and copaxone," says
Dr. Rostami.
The research team has some ideas of how glucosamine exerts its
effects. According to Dr. Rostami, EAE and MS are caused by
abnormal responses from the immune system's T cells. There are
two types: TH1, which promotes inflammation, and TH2, which is
anti-inflammatory. "We've shown the glucosamine modulates the
immune response by producing more TH2 responses, suppressing
brain inflammation," he says. "At the same time, it suppresses
TH1 response."
The researchers currently are testing the effectiveness of
combinations of glucosamine and standard drugs for MS in the
same mouse model to look for adverse effects. They are also
trying to find out if glucosamine can suppress the relapses in
the relapsing/remitting form of the disease.
Relapsing/remitting is the most common form of MS. Patients
experience clearly defined "flare-ups," acute episodes in
which neurological functions worsen, followed by partial or
complete recovery periods.
Over 400,000 Americans acknowledge having MS; however, many
neurologists believe that nearly one million Americans are
living with MS in the United States today. Symptoms can
include fatigue, loss of coordination, muscle weakness,
numbness, inability to walk or use hands and arms, pain,
vision problems, slurred speech, decline in the ability to
think and reason, and bladder/bowel dysfunction.
--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------= =AD-----
=A9 2005 Newswise. All Rights Reserved.
--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------= =AD-----
<<snip>> The results indicated that these complexes could be
used in eliminating the excess iron(III) in living
organisms. <<snip>>
J Inorg Biochem. 2002 Apr 28;89(3-4):212-8. Related
Articles, Links
Aqueous and solid complexes of iron(III) with hyaluronic acid.
Potentiometric titrations and infrared spectroscopy studies.
Merce AL, Marques Carrera LC, Santos Romanholi LK, Lobo Recio
MA.
Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal do Parana, CP
19081, Centro Politecnico, Curitiba, 81531-990, Brazil.
aname...@quimica.ufpr.br
The coordination of iron(III) ion to hyaluronic acid (Hyal) in
aqueous solutions and solid state was accomplished by
potentiometric titrations and infrared spectroscopy. The
potentiometric titration studies provided the binding
constants for the complexes found in the systems and the
speciation of these species according to the variation of pH
values. The complexes found presented a complexing ability
through both the chelating moieties of Hyal (via the
N-glucosamine and D-glucoronic acid), showing no special
preference for either one while in solid state, but when in
aqueous solution the complexation via the N-glucosamine moiety
was the preferred, forming two complexed species, ML and ML(2)
(log K(ML)=3D8.2 and log K(ML2)=3D7.9). The presence of a
mu-oxo complex via the D-glucoronic acid was also detected in
both aqueous (log K=3D6.7) and solid states via the
N-glucosamine and D-glucoronic acid simultaneously linked to
two Hyal chains. A structure for this latter complex was
suggested. The results indicated that these complexes could be
used in eliminating the excess iron(III) in living organisms.
PMID: 12062125 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
--------------------------------------------------------------
-------------
------
Who loves ya. Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian! http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com
Man Is A Herbivore! http://tinyurl.com/a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk