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Joan Stephenson, PhD

JAMA. 2004;291:2309.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

A constituent of turmeric, the spice that gives curry and mustard their vivid yellow hue, might have potential for treating cystic fibrosis (CF), according to scientists in the United States and Canada who used the substance to correct the defect in mice with a form of CF (Science. 2004;304:600-602).

Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in a gene that encodes the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common form of the disease is caused by the mutation F508, which produces a misfolded CFTR protein that is unable to move to the cell surface to transport chloride ions and water into and out of cells. As a result, the lungs and gastrointestinal tract become clogged with a thick mucus.

The researchers found that curcumin, a major constituent of turmeric, corrected the defect in cultured cells, allowing the CFTR protein to move to its . . . [Full Text of this Article]