Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Curry Compound May Fight Rare Neurological Illness
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FRIDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- A synthetic compound that''s a distant chemical relative of a component of curcumin -- a spice used to make curry -- shows promise against an inherited neurodegenerative disorder called Kennedy''s disease, U.S. researchers say. The disease, which affects only men, resembles a slowly progressive form of Lou Gehrig''s disease. There is no treatment for Kennedy''s disease, which is caused by a mutant gene. The University of Rochester team found that ASC-J9, a synthetic chemical compound loosely based on a component of curcumin, dramatically slowed the progression of Kennedy''s disease in mice with the mutant human gene that causes the illness. After treatment with ASC-J9, the mice showed improved muscle strength, could walk much more normally and had near-normal levels of a molecule that keeps nerve cells healthy. The findings were published in the March issue of the journal Nature Medicine. While ASC-J9 shows promise, much more research needs to be done to determine if ASC-J9 can be developed into a drug to help people with Kennedy''s disease. More information The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about Kennedy''s disease.
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