Miracles of Turmeric: May Hold Promise For Ischemic Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury

Two new studies suggest that a compound derived from curry spice turmeric may have clinical promise for ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI), which currently lack good therapies. 
A synthetic derivative of turmeric, made by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, dramatically improved the behavioral and molecular deficits seen in animal models of these conditions.In previous studies, David R. Schubert, and Pamela Maher in the Salk Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory had developed a series of new compounds using a novel drug discovery paradigm that starts with natural products derived from plants; it then calls for selecting synthetic derivatives that show efficacy in multiple assays testing protection against various aspects of the nerve cell damage and death that occur in brain injuries and in age-associated neurodegenerative diseases.
One compound, called CNB-001, which was derived from curcumin, the active ingredient in the spice turmeric, proved highly neuroprotective in all of the assays; it also enhanced memory in normal animals.
While the Salk group has a great deal of expertise in age-associated neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, they do not run animal models of TBI and stroke.
"To test the prediction that drugs from our new drug discovery scheme will work in multiple models of CNS disease and trauma," Schubert explains, "we undertook a series of experiments to assay the drugs in collaboration with researchers at Cedars-Sinai and UCLA, who are leaders in the fields of stroke and TBI, respectively, and appreciate the potential for therapeutics based on natural products and their derivatives."