Researchers at John Hopkins University and the Boyce Thompson Institute discovered an unexpected new benefit of aspirin – it might help battle neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s.
Aspirin’s primary component is called salicylic acid, and according to the research, this component binds to an enzyme called Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase, or GAPDH. GAPDH is believed to be the main perpetrator of the brain cell death that occurs during the neurodegenerative breakdowns in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other diseases.
Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid is one of the most widely used medicines in the world. Daniel Klessig, one of the authors of the study, has spent years studying the acid’s effect on plants. It has been known to control and normalize immune systems in plants, and based on research, there is reason to believe it can have a similar effect on the human body.
Its beneficial uses, however, have been known for a long time. According to a Danish study from 2009, salicylic acid can be found in the bark and leaves of willow and poplar trees, and its medical application dates back to ancient Sumerians who used it to treat fevers and rheumatism. Patients would chew tree bark to harness the effects of the salicylic acid.
GAPDH
GAPDH is an enzyme used in our bodies to help control sugar absorption and utilization, but the enzyme can be the catalyst for serious cell damage if we create too many highly-reactive molecules. An abundance of these molecules cause GAPDH to mutate and penetrate the center of our neurons, causing higher protein turnover and, eventually, brain cell death.
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The Discovery
In their study of salicylic acid, Klessig and his team discovered that some versions of the component pulled from licorice plants have proven effective at inhibiting GAPDH. The component binds to GAPDH, which prevents the enzyme from entering the nucleus of brain cells, which in turn, prevents it from killing the cells.
This isn’t the first revelation about salicylic acid’s preventative benefits. Aspirin is commonly linked to reducing heart disease and cancer. It has also been associated with the treatment of High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) proteins, which are a primary cause of inflammation in the human body and are often linked to diseases like arthritis, lupus, atherosclerosis and some cancers.
Moving Forward
The research team points out that plant-based medicine has been used for wellness for thousands of years, and it’s still the primary treatment for most of the world. Half of the FDA-approved pharmaceutical drugs developed over the last two decades are derived from plants or other natural products. Aspirin alone has been the world’s most frequently-used drug for more than 200 years – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimated that 40 million Americans take at least one aspirin every day – and we still aren’t totally aware of its broad range of uses and benefits.
The discovery of salicylic acid’s binding power to GAPDH could lead to a staggering number of treatments in the future. It could mean prevention of debilitating neurodegenerative ailments, treatment for sufferers and the ability to combat other cell-killing diseases in the very near future.
