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Rheumatoid
Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases new Understanding Why Gold works for
Treatment
February 26th, 2006
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Gold Bars |
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Researchers from
the Harvard Medical School found out why special forms of gold, platinum
and other types of medicinal metals help treat autoimmune diseases such
as rheumatoid arthritis. They found that these metal help to strip away
bacteria and virus particles from a key immune system protein. The
findings are reported in the February 27th issue of Nature Chemical
Biology.
Gold has been used
to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis for the past
75 years. Gold was first used in 1890 by a German doctor named Robert
Koch who found that it was able to kill the bacteria that caused
tuberculosis. In the 1930’s there was belief that rheumatoid arthritis
and tuberculosis were related and a French doctor, Jacques Forestier,
began treating his rheumatoid arthritis patients with gold. The gold
worked and was used for many years, but is being phased out in the last
few years because of serious side effects.
Brian DeDecker,
PhD, a post-doctoral student in the Department of Cell Biology and one
of the studies co-authors explains, "We were searching for a new drug to
treat autoimmune diseases. But instead we discovered a biochemical
mechanism that may help explain how an old drug works."
What the Harvard
researchers were looking for was a new drug that would suppress MHC
class II proteins, which are important parts of the immune system. It
is normal for MHC class II proteins to hold onto invading bacteria and
viruses on the surface of these antigen presentation cells. By doing
this holding on tactic it tells other specialized recognition cells
called lymphocytes to react causing an immune system response. The
response is intended for harmful bacteria and viruses, but sometimes the
immune system overreacts causing the immune system to attack a persons
own body. Juvenile diabetes, Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are
autoimmune diseases that have this malfunction of the immune system
which cause damage to the person’s own body.
The researcher
looked at thousands of compounds. They came across a cancer drug called
Cisplatin, which contains the metal platinum. This drug stripped away
the virus and bacteria molecules from the MHC class II protein. After
this discovery they tested a special form of gold and also caused the
same results.
The researchers
continued to explore gold compounds. They found that in a cell culture
that the gold compounds caused the immune system antigen presenting
cells to become inactive. Their next research will be to test the gold
drug with diseased tissues.
The researchers
should with modern advances in technology, be able to develop a safer
drug with the gold compound that will help treat these autoimmune
diseases. The sooner that these autoimmune diseases can be successfully
treated the less damage to the body is done.
Nicole Wilson
Best Syndication
Books about Pain
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