Yale Bulletin and Calendar

. . . Yale Bulletin and Calendar

April 30, 2004|Volume 32, Number 28

Dr. Marie Egan and Dr. Michael Caplan

Cystic fibrosis: Compound found in spice tumeric holds promise for treatmen

In the most recent issue of Science, researchers at Yale and the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto report that curcumin, a compound in the spice turmeric, corrects the defect of cystic fibrosis in mice.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a debilitating and ultimately fatal genetic disorder, caused by the failure of a chloride channel -- the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) -- to reach its proper place on the cell surface, where it transports chloride ions and water into and out of the cell. CF causes the lungs and gastrointestinal tract to become clogged with thick mucous secretions and leads to bacterial infections, failure to thrive and eventually to respiratory failure, with a life expectancy of about 30 years.

The most common form of CF is caused by the mutation Delta-F508, which produces an active, but mis-folded CFTR protein. Nearly 90% of people with CF carry at least one copy of the Delta-F508 CFTR gene.

Research led by Yale professors Dr. Michael Caplan and Dr. Marie Egan, and their collaborator in Toronto, Dr. Gergely Lukacs, studied compounds that alter or compensate for the defect on Delta-F508. Caplan is professor of cellular and molecular physiology, and Egan is associate professor of pediatrics and of cellular and molecular physiology, and associate director of the Cystic Fibrosis Care Center.

The researchers found that the Delta-F508 defect is corrected in tissue culture and in mouse model systems by curcumin, the component that gives the spice turmeric its bright yellow color. In cultured cells, the CFTR protein moved to the surface of the cells, and in CFTR mice, the nasal and rectal epithtlia regained nearly normal function.

"While these data are very encouraging, it is much too early to say whether curcumin will offer an effective treatment for most people with CF," says Caplan, noting that curcumin was not expected to be effective for some of the other CFTR mutations.

Curcumin is non-toxic to humans, and clinical trials for safety and effective dosing are beginning with Seer Pharmaceutical and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, an affiliate of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

This research was funded by grants from the Alyward Family/PitneyBowes Gift Fund, Seer Pharmaceuticals, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the NIH and the CIHR.

-- By Janet Emanuel

T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S

New class of World Fellows chosen

Yale broadens environmental goals for future

Epilepsy: Even small seizures can cause loss of consciousness

Cystic fibrosis: Compound found in spice tumeric . . .

Schizophrenia: Brain area governing shearing . . .

Yale Community Service Day

Alumni donate lifesaving gifts to Engineering, Athletics

Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft Bulldog star Nate Lawrie

Groundbreaking ceremony held for police station-community center

New program to bring students from Seoul to Yale

Study will explore whether exercise impacts risk factors for breast cancer

Drama school's 'Uncle Vanya' breaks from naturalist tradition

Graduates of the drama school will gather for Reunion Weekend

Michael Denning to sign copies of his new book at local store