Chinese Medicinal Compound Stops Formation of Cysts in Polycystic Kidney Disease in Lab, Yale University Researchers Find
Using a compound from a centuries-old Chinese traditional medicine, Yale University researcher Dr. Craig Crews has been able to prevent the formation of kidney-destroying cysts in a mouse model of polycystic kidney disease. This ability holds out hope for what would be the first treatment, other than kidney transplant or frequent dialysis, for one of the most lethal of all kidney diseases worldwide.
Dr. Crews described the functioning of the compound at Experimental Biology 2007 in Washington, DC. His presentation on April 29 is part of the scientific program of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.