Chinese Herb Could Be Potent Weapon Against HIV

Posted by DAAN on November 23, 2008 under Disease, Immune system, Uncategorized |

Chinese Herb shows promise against HIV

An herb used in Chinese medicine — the Astragalus root — contains a chemical that could be used to complement antiretroviral therapy or possibly even replace it, suggested Rita Effros, a member of the UCLA AIDS Institute, which made the finding. Effros, co-author of the study, is a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

The study will be published in the Nov. 15 print edition of the Journal of Immunology and is now available online.

Astragalus, also known as milk vetch, has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine, usually in combination with other herbs, to strengthen the immune system. It is still widely used in China to treat chronic hepatitis and as an adjunct therapy for cancer patients.

Astragalus has also been used to combat heart disease, as well as to prevent and treat common colds and upper respiratory infections.

The AIDS Institute study examined the relationship between TAT2, a chemical in Astragalus, and telomeres. Every chromosome has a telomere at its end that has a protective function — similar to the plastic tip that keeps a shoelace from unraveling.