by Ethan A Huff
(NaturalNews) A breakthrough discovery has been made in the treatment of multiple myeloma, an aggressive type of cancer that forms in the plasma cells of bone marrow. Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond recently found that, when combined with molecules from the anti-nausea drug thalidomide, turmeric, the active ingredient of which is commonly known as curcumin, is capable of targeting and killing multiple myeloma cells naturally.
[Sponsor link: Natural Cellular Immune Booster Protocol]
Shijun Zhang, an assistant professor at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the VCU School of Pharmacy, and his colleagues made this discovery after experimenting with compounds derived from the two substances. The purpose of this was to see whether or not a more potent form of medicinal turmeric could be developed. As you may recall, thalidomide was used back in the 1950s as an anti-nausea medication to treat morning sickness, that is, until it was realized that the drug had been responsible for causing widespread birth defects in children.
However, certain molecules contained in this controversial drug appear to be useful in boosting the efficacy of turmeric, all without causing any harm to patients. Utilizing a process that basically hybridizes molecules from the two substances to create a single master compound, researchers were able to develop a type of “super” turmeric that is exceptionally potent against cancer. And the best part is that any thalidomide components remaining in the compound are effectively disintegrated inside the body.
“Although thalidomide disturbs the microenvironment of tumor cells in bone marrow, it disintegrates in the body,” says Zhang. “Curcumin, also active against cancers, is limited by its poor water solubility. But the combination of thalidomide and curcumin in the hybrid molecules enhances both the cytotoxicity and solubility.”
Optimizing the healing potential of natural plants and herbs: the future of sustainable medicine