最新醫學研究

最新醫學研究-黃琴對癌症有效?

-解開漢藥之奧秘

Chinese medicine plant secrets probed

·         9 April 2016

·         From the sectionHealth

Image copyrightQing Zhao, Chinese Academy of SciencesImage caption.The Chinese skullcap, Scutell

Scientists have unravelled one of the secrets of a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine.

科學家已解開，用於傳統中藥植物的秘密之一。

The Chinese skullcap - known as Huang-Qin - is traditionally used for fever, liver and lung problems.

中國黃芩-稱為黃琴-傳統上用於發熱、 肝、 肺等疾病的問題。

Scientists have discovered that the plant uses a special pathway to make chemicals with potential cancer-fighting properties.

科學家們已發現，該藥草使用特殊的管道，製造出具潛在抗癌特性的化學品。

They say it is a step towards being able to scale up production to make new drugs. Prof Cathie Martin, of the John Innes Centre in Norwich, is lead researcher of the study, published in Science Advances.

他們說它向前邁進一步，能夠擴大生產製造新藥。在諾威治的約翰英納斯中心的首席研究員凱西 · 馬丁教授，發表在「科學進展」論文上說。

Working in collaboration with Chinese scientists, her team deduced how the plant,Scutellaria baicalensi, synthesises the chemicals, known as flavones.

她的團隊與中國科學家們合作，抽出該藥草植物-黃芩 baicalensi 如何與稱為黃酮類化合物的化學物質合成。

Flavones are found widely in the plant kingdom, giving some plants vivid blue flowers.

給予植物生動的藍色小花，，黃酮在植物王國裡廣泛的被發現。

         

Image copyrightQing ZhaImage captionThe root is thought to have anti-viral properties

"Understanding the pathway should help us to produce these special flavones in large quantities, which will enable further research into their potential medicinal uses," said Prof Martin.

"理解這個途徑，應該幫助我們大量生產，這些特殊黃酮藥，這將使他們能更進一步研究，潛在的醫療用途，"馬丁教授說。

"It's exciting to consider that the plants which have been used as traditional Chinese remedies for thousands of years may lead to effective modern medicines."

"曾經是中國千百年來的傳統藥材的植物，可能會導致成為有效的現代醫葯，想到這點就令人興奮"。

Ancient remedy(古代療方)

Previous lab research suggests that flavones have anti-cancer properties, offering hope that they may one day lead to effective cancer treatments.

先前的實驗室研究提到，黃酮類化合物具有抗癌特性，並提供它們或許有一天，可能導致有效的癌症的治療葯物。

Commenting on the study, Dr Alan Worsley of Cancer Research UK, said: "This paper answers a very interesting biological question about how these plants are able to make particular molecules, but the study doesn't look at whether the molecules can be used to treat cancer.

針對此研究的看法，英國癌症研究中心的 亞蘭 • 沃斯利博士說:"本論文回答了一個非常有趣的生物問題，關於這些植物是如何造出特定的微分子，但這項研究並不著眼於這些微分子是否可以用於治療癌症。

"Instead it looks at how this compound is made in nature, which may allow scientists to make more of it in the lab and be able to research its potential uses."

"相反地，它著眼於在這種化合物是如何造出，而可能會使科學家們能夠在實驗室裡製造更多，並能對其潛在用途加以研究。

This herb is a member of the mint family and native to China.

這種藥草是唇形科植物，原產于中國。

In traditional Chinese medicine, the root was used in combination with other plants to treat fever and other ailments.

在中國的傳統醫學，此植物之根部，被用於與其他植物相結合，以治療發燒和其他疾病。

There is increasing scientific interest in ancient medicinal plants.

In 2015, Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for her work on artemisinin, an antimalarial drug derived from the sweet wormwood plant, Artemisia annua.

對古代的藥用植物的科學，人們興趣越來越大。到 2015 年，屠呦呦榮獲諾貝爾醫學獎，因她在抗瘧藥物-青蒿素類的研究，它源自甜蜜的蟲草植物，艾屬青蒿植物

Ancient remedy helps China win Nobel Prize

 古代的療法助中國贏得諾貝爾獎

The fever-reducing properties of the plant were first recognised in the 4th Century by Chinese physicians.

在西元 4 世紀中國醫生首次辨認出來，此種植物具有退燒性能。

Justin Lai (賴正雄) 編譯 

04/11/2016