Researchers at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York have discovered that tanshinones, which come from the plant Danshen and are highly valued in Chinese traditional medicine, protect against the life-threatening condition sepsis. The findings are published in the December issue of Biochemical Pharmacology.
A release from the North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System, the umbrella organization for the institute, notes that inflammation is necessary for maintaining good health. Without inflammation, wounds and infections would never heal. However, persistent and constant inflammation can damage tissue and organs, and lead to diseases such as sepsis.
Sepsis affects approximately 750,000 Americans each year, 28 to 50 percent of whom die from the condition, and costs the nation's healthcare system nearly $17 billion annually. It is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection or injury, and occurs when chemicals released into the bloodstream to fight the infection trigger inflammation throughout the body. The result is that organs become damaged, including liver, heart, lungs, kidney and brain. If excessive damage occurs, it may be irreversible.
For years, Feinstein Institute researchers have been trying to identify ways to halt persistent and constant inflammation.
