Public release date: 24-Oct-2007

CLEVELAND – Scientists at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine have published in the Journal of Inflammation a remarkable discovery with a natural product derived from the Amazon rainforest. The discovery’s unique actions suggest a broad set of applications in various joint, skin and gastrointestinal diseases, including osteoarthritis and irritable bowel syndrome

The publication revealed that Progrado®, an extract from a rainforest tree called Croton palanostigma, was a remarkably potent antioxidant and prevented the destruction of human cartilage by molecular s scissors called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). According to the researchers, these enzymes cut collagen, which forms the backbone of the cartilage, into tiny pieces during states of inflammation and alter the fabric that holds tissues together.

“This is an exciting finding,” said Tariq Haqqi, professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals of Cleveland and the lead investigator and senior author of the study. “This is the first time a natural product has been shown to directly block these molecular scissors while showing potential to stimulate repair. This is a testament to the wound healing properties of this traditional medicine and the distinctive therapeutic opportunities that nature offers.”