On Friday, April 11, Robert Waters, Ph.D., SCNM Research Department Chair, and Jeffrey Langland, Ph.D., SCNM Research Vice-Chair, unveiled the latest activities, results, and success of the newly restructured SCNM Research Department. A crowd of students, alumni, faculty and media attended the informational research night.
In late 2007, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine built a relationship with Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute. The Biodesign Institute focuses on creating personalized diagnostics and treatments; outpacing infectious disease; ensuring a healthy future for the planet and securing a safer world. Through this relationship, SCNM has direct access to bench top research. The goal is to take the research from benchtop to the bedside and the clinical trials will easily be performed at Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center.
Since December 2007, Dr. Langland has been performing bench top research on the affects of botanical extracts on genes. The botanical extracts used were prepared by SCNM students as part of their botanical curriculum. Dr. Langland specifically studied the affects on gene expression of Astragalus membranaceus (Huang-qi or Milk-Vetch Root), Sambucus cerulean (Elderberry), Andrographis paniculata (Indian echinacea), Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice Root), and Urtica dioica (Stinging nettle). The results for Astragalus showed over 100 induced genes with known immunological roles including roles in immune cell activation, phagocytosis, chemotaxis and cell migration.
Several other genes induced are known to have roles in wound healing, dilation of blood vessels, and general inflammation. All induced genes fit with the expected immuno-stimulative and wound healing properties associated with Astragalus. Previous work with Astragalus hasonly identified its effect on a few human genes. This new research broadens the understanding of all the genes affected by Astragalus (and other herbs) to provide insight into the mechanism on how this herb is truly affecting the body.
With the cooperation of the research department at the University of Arizona, in addition to ASU/BDI and SCNM, the fractionation of the botanical extracts created at SCNM will be submitted for evaluation at the Biodesign Center. The collaboration with the Translations Genomics Research Institute (TGEN) in Phoenix will permit the professional application of cutting edge technology to provide the data for gene expression analysis that SCNM students will analyze.
Some of the research that students at SCNM will be involved in includes quantifying the botanical affects on all 33,000 human genes. The students will be using advanced mathematics to interpret the results led by Dr. Waters. The results will be published in scientific journals.
SCNM will be the first of the Naturopathic colleges in the profession to have students perform genetic expression analysis. As a result of these research collaborations and combinations, SCNM will be a strong contributor of research for Naturopathic medicine and this research opens the door to new understandings of the basis of quality control of botanicals.
“This is an exciting development,” stated Dr. Waters. “If things keep going as they are, it could propel SCNM and its collaborators to the forefront of major ground breaking research.”
Drs. Waters and Langland are in the process of acquiring funding for the next phase of the research through foundations and public grants. |
