A drug identified from within the curry spice turmeric may be able to help the body repair some of the damage that is caused in the aftermath of a stroke. Research has been conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, with trials on humans to start shortly. The spice drug is said to have been able to reach brain cells and reduce muscle and movement problems after the stroke.
Turmeric itself has been used for centuries within Ayurvedic traditional Indian medicine, and research suggests that one of its components, curcumin, actually has beneficial properties. Curcumin however cannot pass the blood brain barrier (BBB), which protects the brain from potentially toxic molecules. This led researches to modify the component to obtain a new version, CNB-001 which could pass through the BBB. The tests which have been conducted found that the component can be effective up to three hours after a stroke has occurred, and the drug appeared to have an effect on several mechanisms which might keep brain cells alive after the stroke.
Typically each year within the UK it is estimated that 150,000 people suffer a stroke, and this accounts for 53,000 deaths each year. Therefore this reiterates the importance of this new research and although it is still very early days, human trials need to be undertaken.
Click here for more information from Mr Daryll Baker, Senior Vascular surgeon at the Royal Free and Edgware Community Hospitals.
