Jul 2 2007, 8:00 AM EST
News source: Business Wire
Oxis International Inc (OTCBB: OXIS), a biopharmaceutical company focused on commercializing predictive biomarkers, clinical assays and nutraceutical and therapeutic products, announced today that Dr. Dirk Grundemann of the University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, found evidence supporting the use of L-Ergothioneine (ERGO) as a nutritional/dietary supplement to treat Chronic Inflammatory Diseases (CIDs), Supplementation of ERGO to correct a dietary deficit could represent a new therapeutic strategy to control inflammation, a hallmark characteristic, as well as an underlying contributor, to virtually every chronic disease, a list that includes rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, diabetes, along with major killers such as heart disease and stroke. Oxis recently launched a human and veterinary sales and marketing campaign for ERGO and this scientific validation from the University of Cologne is expected to enhance the Company's efforts in this area.
ERGO is a unique, naturally occurring anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory agent that is abundant in most plants and animals. ERGO cannot be synthesized by humans and therefore is available only from dietary sources. Oxis was the first company to develop a patented synthetic process for the manufacture of pure ERGO. The proprietary manufacturing process has been approved in North America, Japan, and Western Europe.
Dr. Dirk Grundemann of the University of Cologne was the first scientist to discover a unique human transport system for ERGO.
The initial paper showing the unique presence in humans of an ERGO transporter was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 2005 April 5: 102 (14): 5256-5261. Title: "Discovery of the Ergothioneine Transporter." Dr. Grundemann's current study is entitled: "Probing the Substrate Specificity of the Ergothioneine Transporter with Methimazole, Hercynine, and organic Cations." Biochemical Pharmacology, 74 (2007), 309-316.
"This breakthrough finding shows the association between disease and specific nutritional dietary deficiencies and the potential for early diagnosis, specific nutritional intervention and avoidance of therapeutics with possible toxic side effects," said Marvin S. Hausman MD, OXIS President and CEO. "The belief that a chronic inflammatory process underlies most diseases including cancer is now becoming well accepted. Moreover, scientists and physicians worldwide are uncovering and validating the therapeutic nutritional value of ERGO, a key OXIS proprietary dietary supplement product. These independent scientific validations will greatly enhance our marketing of ERGO for a broad number of uses."
CID is an inflammatory response of prolonged duration - weeks, months, or even indefinitely - whose extended time course is provoked by persistence of the causative stimulus to inflammation in the tissue. The inflammatory process inevitably causes tissue damage and is accompanied by simultaneous attempts at healing and repair. The exact nature, extent and time course of chronic inflammation is variable, and depends on a balance between the causative agent and the attempts of the body to remove it.
The July 2007 Scientific American article by Gary Stix emphasizes that "Understanding chronic inflammation, which contributes to heart disease, Alzheimer's and a variety of other ailments, may be a key to unlocking the mysteries of cancer." Hence curbing inflammation could prevent a trigger to more serious disease. Dr. Grundemann emphasizes the value of ERGO as a preventive dietary supplement by stating: "supplementation of Ergothioneine (ET) to correct a dietary deficit could provide a new therapeutic strategy for chronic inflammatory diseases."
About OXIS and BioCheck:
OXIS International, Inc. develops technologies and products to research, d
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