i ALWAYS knew the blue M&M’s were the BEST !
Health News Blue M&Ms May Reduce Spinal Injuries
(July 28) — The same blue food dye
found in M&Ms and Gatorade could be
used to reduce damage caused by spine injuries,
offering a better chance of recovery,
according to new research.
Researchers at the University of
Rochester Medical Center found that when
they injected the compound Brilliant Blue
G (BBG) into rats suffering spinal cord injuries,
the rodents were able to walk again,
albeit with a limp.
The only side effect was that the treated
mice temporarily turned blue.
The results of the study, published in the
“Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences,” build on research conducted by
the same center five years ago.
In August 2004, scientists revealed how
Adenosine triphosphate, which is known as
ATP and described as the “energy currency
of life,” surges to the spinal cord soon after
injury occurs.
Researchers found that the sudden influx
of ATP killed off healthy cells, making the
initial injury far worse. But when they injected
oxidized ATP into the injury, it was
found to block the effect of ATP, allowing
the injured rats to recover and walk again.
“While we achieved great results when
oxidized ATP was injected directly into the
spinal cord, this method would not be practical
for use with spinal cord-injured patients,”
said lead researcher Maiken Nedergaard,
professor of Neurosurgery and director
of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine
at the University of Rochester
Medical Center.
“First, no one wants to put a needle into a
spinal cord that has just been severely injured,
so we knew we needed to find another
way to quickly deliver an agent that
would stop ATP from killing healthy motor
neurons. Second, the compound we initially
used, oxidized ATP, cannot be injected
into the bloodstream because of its dangerous
side effects.”
Back in 2004, Nedergaard’s team discovered
that the spinal cord was rich in a molecule
called P2X7, which is also known as
“the death receptor” for its ability to allow
ATP to latch onto motor neurons and send
the signals which eventually kill them.
Nedergaard knew that BBG could thwart
the function of P2X7, and its similarity to a
blue food dye approved by the Food and
Drug Administration in 1982 gave her the
confidence to test it intravenously.
It worked. The rats given BBG immediately
after their injury could walk again
with a limp. Those that didn’t receive a dose
never regained their mobility.
Researchers say it could be several years
before their findings lead to a practical application
for BBG in humans.
They also stress the treatment is designed
to reduce the secondary damage
that is caused immediately after the injury.
“Our hope is that this work will lead to a
practical, safe agent that can be given to patients
shortly after injury, for the purpose
of decreasing the secondary damage that
we have to otherwise expect,” said Steven
Goldman, Chair of the University of
Rochester Department of Neurology.
The researchers say more testing is needed
to assess the safety of BBG before human
clinical trials could begin.
