Arthritis drug found in mushrooms

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Arthritis drug found in mushrooms

http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemScience/Volume/2006/08/arthritis_mushrooms.asp

Mushrooms could play a pivotal role in the treatment of arthritis, suggest

scientists in Germany and Vietnam.

A team of researchers led by Christian Hertweck at the Leibniz-institute for

natural products research and infection biology, Jena, Germany, have

identified a series of compounds in mushrooms that they say are capable of

treating rheumatoid and gouty arthritis.

Arthritis is a common chronic health problem, with rheumatoid arthritis

affecting 1 in 50 people in the UK and gouty arthritis affecting 1 in 200.

Drugs currently on the market can cause infrequent, but severe side effects.

Enzymatic processes control the inflammation of joints and tissues in

arthritis. The researchers claim the compounds they have identified can

block the enzymes that cause joints to become inflamed.

" Rheumatoid arthritis affects 1 in 50 people in the UK and gouty arthritis

affects 1 in 200 "

Rheumatoid arthritis is generally treated using drugs that block the uptake

of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme by the body. As the COX-2 enzyme

triggers inflammation, blocking this enzyme stops the pain. Gouty arthritis

is caused by too much uric acid in the blood. Blocking xanthine oxidase

(XO), an enzyme involved in the formation of uric acid in the body, relieves

the symptoms of this disease.

Hertweck and colleagues say the compounds they extracted from mushrooms show

COX-2 and XO enzyme blocking activity similar to that of the leading drugs

currently on the market.

References

H V K Wangun, A Härtl, T T Kiet and C Hertweck, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2006

DOI: 10.1039/b604505g