Study Shows, Plant used in Traditional Samoan Medicine Could be as Effective as Ibuprofen
Wednesday, February 09, 2022
The Abstract - Medical News and Research Update
Leaves of the psychotria inularum plant, known to the locals of Samoa as matalafi, have been used for centuries to treat inflammation, fever, elephantiasis, vomiting, incontinence, and infections. Skepticism is often associated with traditional medicine, but is there really something to this matalafi plants that are “found in back yards across Samoa?” Lead author and researcher, Seeseei Molumau-Samasoni said, “I was skeptical at first, when researching. There was a lot of superstition around this plant particularly, even in traditional medicine, but I was keen to find out if I could provide scientific merit to the traditional medicines of the Samoan people.
.”1 In November 2021, research from Molimau-Samasoni and her colleagues have been peer-reviewed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, not only show matalafi’s potential as a anti-inflammatory, but potential treatment for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and even COVID-19. Using “chemical genomic analyses in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast) to identify and characterize an iron homeostasis mechanism of action in the traditional medicine as an unfractionated entity to emulate its traditional use. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the homogenate identified two flavonol glycosides, rutin and nicotiflorin, each binding iron in an ion-dependent molecular networking metabolomics analysis. Translating results to mammalian immune cells and traditional application, the iron chelator activity of the P. insularum homogenate or rutin decreased proinflammatory and enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokine responses in immune cells.”2 The science is still young, but there seems to be great potential with this common plant found in back yards across Samoa.
Noninvasive Imaging Strategy Detects Dangerous Blood Clots in the Body
Detecting clots in atrial fibrillation patients requires transesophageal ultrasound which involves the patients to be sedated and have a large tube inserted down their throat and esophagus. In a November press release from Massachusetts General Hospital, investigators announced that they have developed and tested a targeted contrast agent to detect and image clots noninvasively. This agent that investigators used has a strong affinity for fibrin, a component of blood clots, and can be detected with a radioactive copper tag. David Sosnovik, MD, FACC, lead author and director of the Program in Cardiovascular Imaging at Mass General, said, “The idea behind the technology is that the agent will find and bind to blood clots anywhere in the body—not just in the heart—and make the clots detectable like a bright star in the night sky… In some ways this is analogous to doing a smart search with a search engine such as Google, where the search terms one uses guide the search. We inject the agent into a small peripheral vein and it circulates throughout the human body on its search for clots.”3 If it finds a clot and binds to it, clinicians can detect it with positron emission tomography. In AFib patients, imaging tests of the heart showed bright signals within the clots that were not seen in patients without blood clots. If the agent does not find a clot, then it is excreted from the body within several hours.
Protein Predicts a Brain’s Future After Traumatic Injury
Researchers and clinicians have understood that axonal injury is a key determinant of long-term outcomes after traumatic brain injury. The problem was that the ability to clinically measure axonal injuries has been difficult. In a recent study published in Science, Dr. Neil Graham, et al. performed a multicenter study and showed that the plasma concentration of the neurofilament light (NfL) protein increased after TBI in patients.4 Plasma NfL concentration predicted white matter damage and clinical outcome. NfL levels rise for weeks after an injury, typically peak around 20 days, and can stay high a year later.5 These increased levels of NfL tell that something is wrong in the nervous system. The increased biomarkers won’t tell you where the damage is, but it’s an easier way of measuring and tracking the damage. Experts say we’re a long way off from point of care devices that test for NfL biomarkers, but they’re hopeful neural panels will be added to routine head injuries.
Researchers Design Antibodies That Destroy Senescent Cells, Slowing Down Pathological Aging
A wide range of diseases, including fibrosis, tumor progressing, cataracts, obesity, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease have been shown to be influenced by the accumulation of senescent cells. Senescence is needed to prevent the propagation of damaged cells. However progressive accumulation of senescent cells with time has been associated with loss of tissue homeostasis and is known to contribute to the functional impairment of different organs typically seen in ageing. Parallel to this, clearance of senescent cells can prolong lifespan in in vivo models. This lead to the production of a new classification of drugs known as senolytics, designed to specifically eliminate senescent cells in human tissue. One of the major issues with senolytics is that they lack the targeting skills to be clinically effective. In a recent study published in the journal Nature, Marta Poblocka, et al. were able to target and clear senescent cells using an antibody-drug conjugate against a specific membrane marker. Utilizing an extracellular epitope of B2M, an membrane marker of senescence, Poblocka and her team successfully delivered toxic drugs into senescent cells, thus clearing the senescent cells. Non-senescent cells were not affected by the treatment, confirming the accuracy of the treatment.6
Scientists Successfully Test Prototype Bioartificial Kidney
KidneyX, a public-private partnership between the US Department of Health and Human Services and the American Society of Nephrology, recently sponsored a competition to accelerate innovation in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney diseases. One of this year’s winner’s was KidneyX for its first ever demonstration of a functional prototype of its implantable artificial kidney. KidneyX successfully combined a hemofilter (removes waste products and toxins from blood) and a bioreactor, which replicates other kidney functions. The artificial kidney was able to be powered by blood pressure alone and without immunosuppressant or blood thinning drugs. Shuvo Roy, who was involved in the research and development of the artificial kidney said, “The vision for the artificial kidney is to provide patients with complete mobility ad better physiological outcomes than dialysis…[and] a higher quality of life. for millions worldwide with kidney failure.”7
UK Scientists Discover Gene Linked to Doubling the Risk of COVID-19 Death
Questions among healthcare professionals and the general public about why people are more susceptible to severe illness and death from COVID-19 may have more of an answer when a gene that may be associated with doubling the risk of lung failure from COVID-19 was recently discovered by Oxford University Scientists. The gene LZTFL1 is carried by around 60% of people with South Asian ancestry, and is involved in how the lung cells respond to viruses. The findings which were published in the Nature Genetics journal, show “that the way in which the lung responds to the infection in critical. This is important because most treatments have focused on changing the way in which the immune system reacts to the virus.”8
Abstract Sources
Study Shows, Plant used in Traditional Samoan Medicine Could be as Effective as Ibuprofen
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/04/plant-in-traditional-samoa-medicine-could-be-as-effective-as-ibuprofen-study-shows?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email
- https://www.pnas.org/content/118/45/e2100880118
Noninvasive Imaging Strategy Detects Dangerous Blood Clots in the Body
Protein Predicts a Brain’s Future After Traumatic Injury
- https://www.wired.com/story/this-protein-predicts-a-brains-future-after-traumatic-injury/
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abg9922
Researchers Design Antibodies That Destroy Senescent Cells, Slowing Down Pathological Aging
Scientists Successfully Test Prototype Bioartificial Kidney
UK Scientists Discover Gene Linked to Doubling the Risk of COVID-19 Death
