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Latest Nrf2 Clinical Trials and Research
Nrf2.com keeps our readers updated on the latest news and scientific research regarding Nrf2, other pathway activation, and signaling. We report on findings by medical professionals from credible sources.
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There are numerous studies about the USA Protandim formula. This one is about the International formulation.
“We are very, very pleased that we can now explore the mechanisms,”, mentioned Dr. Sylvia Smith, chair of the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and co-director of the James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute at AU.
This is a promising study because the current treatments of pathological and cystic fibrosis are costly and very time consuming. Persistent fibrosis in lungs of aged mice was caused by the loss of cellular redox balance. The mice in the study with low NRF2 expression had a higher incidence of progressive lung disease. Tissues from human lung samples demonstrated this same Nox4-Nrf2 imbalance.
Externally, inflammation can be recognized by redness, swelling and pain. Internally, it is a lot more difficult to to recognize and may well go undetected for long periods of time. The effects of inflammation can also range from minor to chronic. An example of a minor case of inflammation may include bacteria causing an infection such as from a splinter piercing the skin. The more serious chronic inflammation may be a common factor in many age-related diseases such as Diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, cancer or Alzheimer’s.
The study published in Nature Chemical Biology explains how important it is to quickly clear damaged proteins from neurons. Cell survival may be affected by the speed at which damaged proteins are removed. In Huntington’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, damaged proteins become misshaped and abnormal.
To be more specific regarding protecting the heart, this project investigates the effects of NRF2 on diabetic myocardial complications (diabetic cardiomyopathy). When the results are presented, there will be an answer to whether Nrf2 is capable of preventing diabetes-induced oxidative and nitrosative stress and the resulting progression of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
The research team will be using techniques to compare which of the two approaches is the most effective at preventing seizure-induced neuronal death and study longer-term consequences. Approach A will inhibit a well know ROS producing enzyme known as NADPH oxidase, and approach B enhance the activity of Nuclear factor eythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2 – a key regulator of antioxidant defenses). Their research will study whether the therapies (alone and in combination) can prevent seizures following a brain trauma, and are effective in preserving memory. This study hopes to identify new treatments to prevent seizures and reduce damage to the brain.
The research team will be using techniques to compare which of the two approaches is the most effective at preventing seizure-induced neuronal death and study longer-term consequences. Approach A will inhibit a well know ROS producing enzyme known as NADPH oxidase, and approach B enhance the activity of Nuclear factor eythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2 – a key regulator of antioxidant defenses). Their research will study whether the therapies (alone and in combination) can prevent seizures following a brain trauma, and are effective in preserving memory. This study hopes to identify new treatments to prevent seizures and reduce damage to the brain.
The gene within her body that led to her decision is called BRCA1. BRCA1 is a tumor suppressor protein in carcinoma and normal cell types and protects normal cell’s DNA from uncontrolable cell growth.
The paper claims that humans are bombarded by wide variety of toxic insults each and every day. Toxins such as carcinogens, electrophiles, reactive oxygen species, diesel exhaust, inflammation, calcium disturbance, UV light, and cigarette smoke. They also state that “many studies have shown that NRF2 is crucial in protecting a variety of tissues such as lung, liver, kidney, stomach, small intestine, central nervous system, splenocytes, macrophages, erythrocytes, and retinal epithelia.”
advancement of many disease conditions. This includes Parkinson’s disease (PD). The aim of this study is to determine whether the transcription factor NF-E2-related factor (Nrf2) induces antioxidant protection and phase II detoxification enzymes. Numerous studies have been published on Pubmed which suggests protection to vulnerable neurons through the NRF2/ARE pathway. This neuronal Nrf2 up-regulation study is considered an attractive therapeutic strategy for PD by the Michael J. Fox Foundation
According to an article published by Foxnews entitled ” FDA approves new oral MS drug, Tecfidera” the following information reveals just how big the market is for NRF2 activating medications and supplements. Tecfidera has been FDA approved to treat just one disease, Multiple Sclerosis. From studies published on Pubmed.gov, NRF2 deficiencies is potentially tied to hundreds of additional diseases and illnesses. The statistics and market impact mentioned in this article is a “drop in the bucket” when it comes to the entire potential for the NRF2 activator industry.
Although there is no treatment that will cure Multiple Sclerosis, there are three oral medications approved by the FDA to be a first-line treatment to slow down the progression of the disease.
There are studies on Pubmed that do confirm the NRF2 activation abilities of acetaminophen. For instance this quote. “Nrf2 can be activated via the direct modification of cysteine residues located within the intervening region of Keap1, but also via the substantial reduction of glutathione without the requirement for direct modification of Keap1. It is possible that both of these mechanisms contribute to the activation of Nrf2 by acetaminophen.”
Tylenol rapid release pills (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A healthy person taking the product for largely preventative reasons may not feel a noticeable change compared to someone who has been feeling the effects of a disease. Continuous consumption of a NRF2 activator each day will have more of an impact on the cells than eating a bowl of strawberries once every few months, and will probably have more chance of you noticing changes in your body. Become aware of the subtle changes occurring in the body. Some less obvious changes may be more energy, improved sleep, the strengthening of nails, the improvement in overall health and condition of your hair or darkening of hair as the catalase production increases.
The study discovered that elite endurance athletes such as marathon runners and high endurance athletes were more likely to have higher levels of the NRF2 gene than elite sprinters. Even those that would not be considered elite endurance athletes showed higher NRF2 genetic variations when compared to sprinters, although the difference was not as stark.
It seems evident from news sites and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that there has been a significant increase in flu activity across the United States. You can track the progress of national flu activity using the free CDC iPad Influenza Application Tool for Clinicians and Health Care Professionals application. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine each year. They recommend in particular that high risk individuals get vaccinated, including those with respiratory medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and those with lung disease. Also pregnant women and those 65 years old and older. While it is impossible to predict when the flu season will peak, it appears that January and February are typically the worst months in the year.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is proactively pursuing a solution to slowing down the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is characterized by a constant loss of substantia nigra (specific cells of the brain region) which is responsible for the production of the chemical messenger dopamine.
Studies are underway to determine how effective NRF2 activation could be in preventing damage caused by degenerative diseases.The hope is that NRF2 can be used as a tool to slow down nerve damage and nerve cell death by protecting nerve cells such as neuronaxons, neurons, synapses, dendrites and the glia. High concentrations of nerve cells are found in the brain, spinal chord, peripheral ganglia and optic nerve. Neuro protection not only includes protecting current living cells but the resuscitation or reviving of damaged cells.
Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that damages the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. This damage causes loss of muscle control, tingling of the nerves or numbness in the body. Vision and balance can also be negatively impacted. Sclerosis means the creation or buildup of scar tissue in the brain and spine. This buildup destroys the protective covering (myelin) around the nerves. This in turn interrupts the communications between the brain, spinal cord and other areas of the body.
Fibromyalgia is a relatively common condition in which an individual experiences pain and discomfort throughout the body. Side effects of this pain are anxiety, lack of sleep, headaches, fatigue and depression. Those suffering from the illness can tell you it is downright miserable! While the cause is unknown, it is thought that either trauma, abnormal response by the brain to pain or even a previous viral infection may be the trigger to starting a Fibromyalgia response in the body. Fibromyalgia is most common among women aged 20 to 50.
A new study has been published in the journal Antioxidants and Redox Signaling by Dr. Bobby Thomas who is a neuroscientist with the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Health Sciences University. His study shows that NRF2 activation in an animal model boosts the cell’s production of its own antioxidant enzymes and manages inflammation at the same time. This helps the cells recover from the damaging effects of high oxidative stress associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Picture: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strawberries-nd.JPG
I love the drama and intrigue that accompanies one of the hugest sporting events in the world, the Olympics. For me, the fascination is not just seeing the triumph of athletes winning gold medals. But I enjoy following the stories of each Olympian.
Consider how much time you spend out in the sun. With the weather warming in the Northern Hemisphere at the time of this blog post, the dangers of UV radiation, sunburn are well known. Weather channels highlight the UV index on the nighly news. Some occupations are higher risk than others such as farming, construction, professional sports or lifeguards and more prone to the damaging effects of the sun. Children too are in danger during their summer break considering how much time is spent outdoors. Incidences of Skin Cancer are increasing worldwide, and so these studies offer new light on the protecting influence of Nrf2.
Typically, oxidative stress within the cells is not good, something to be avoided. The antioxidant industry is a multi-billion dollar industry encouraging people to eat foods high in antioxidants, in order to try to block oxidation in their cells. Oxidative stress has been tied to over 200 diseases and people taking antioxidants hope to lower their risk of illnesses, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, stroke, depression— all of which all are linked to Oxidative stress. Interestingly, the genes expressed by the body’s cells are way more effective at reducing Oxidative stress than eating foods containing antioxidants. The topic of direct vs. indirect antioxidants is a topic for another article.
The study of demographics and aging is a fascinating field to review. During the course of the next 25 years people aged 65 and older will double. This will result in more than double the number of Alzheimer’s or other dementia cases than we see today. This will be because the 85 and older age group are the fastest-growing portion of America’s aging population. Recognizing the impact this will have on society, the government signed into law the National Alzheimer’s Project Act in 2011. This act hopes to result in the development of a National Alzheimer’s Plan.
Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which was the major funder of the study, said: ‘This very promising study shows that fumarate, already safely trialled in patients for other conditions, including multiple sclerosis, might be repurposed for the benefit of heart patients. It provides strong foundations to build on in the future, and we look forward to seeing the results of the first clinical trials.’
Sanjay Gupta in his book “Chasing life, a quest for immortality” discusses the lengths and costs many people take to stay young and healthy. The anti-aging industry is such a huge multi billion dollar industry. Could it be possible that a discovery could have been made that could be the guardian of health span or even a gatekeeper of longevity?
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