Thursday, October 23, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Medicine

New compound from blessed thistle promotes functional nerve regeneration

April 19, 2024
in Medicine
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
dried blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus)
66
SHARES
602
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus) is a plant in the family Asteraceae and also grows in our climate. For centuries, it has been used as a medicinal herb as an extract or tea, e.g. to aid the digestive system. Researchers at the Center for Pharmacology of University Hospital Cologne and at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Cologne have now found a completely novel use for Cnicin under the direction of Dr Philipp Gobrecht and Professor Dr Dietmar Fischer. Animal models as well as human cells have shown that Cnicin significantly accelerates axon (nerve fibres) growth. The study ‘Cnicin promotes functional nerve regeneration’ was published in Phytomedicine.

dried blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus)

Credit: Dietmar Fischer

Blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus) is a plant in the family Asteraceae and also grows in our climate. For centuries, it has been used as a medicinal herb as an extract or tea, e.g. to aid the digestive system. Researchers at the Center for Pharmacology of University Hospital Cologne and at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Cologne have now found a completely novel use for Cnicin under the direction of Dr Philipp Gobrecht and Professor Dr Dietmar Fischer. Animal models as well as human cells have shown that Cnicin significantly accelerates axon (nerve fibres) growth. The study ‘Cnicin promotes functional nerve regeneration’ was published in Phytomedicine.

Rapid help for nerves

Regeneration pathways of injured nerves in humans and animals with long axons are accordingly long. This often makes the healing process lengthy and even frequently irreversible because the axons cannot reach their destination on time. An accelerated regeneration growth rate can, therefore, make a big difference here, ensuring that the fibres reach their original destination on time before irreparable functional deficits can occur. The researchers demonstrated axon regeneration in animal models and human cells taken from retinae donated by patients. Administering a daily dose of Cnicin to mice or rats helped improve paralysis and neuropathy much more quickly.

Compared to other compounds, Cnicin has one crucial advantage: it can be introduced into the bloodstream orally (by mouth). It does not have to be given by injection. “The correct dose is very important here, as Cnicin only works within a specific therapeutic window. Doses that are too low or too high are ineffective. This is why further clinical studies on humans are crucial,” said Fischer. The University of Cologne researchers are currently planning relevant studies. The Center for Pharmacology is researching and developing drugs to repair the damaged nervous system.

The current study received funding of around 1,200,000 euros from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research within the framework of the project PARREGERON.



Journal

Phytomedicine

DOI

10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155641

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Cnicin promotes functional nerve regeneration

Article Publication Date

14-Apr-2024

Share26Tweet17
Previous Post

Wayne State researcher aims to improve coding peer review practices

Next Post

Auburn’s McCrary Institute, ORNL to partner on first regional cybersecurity center to protect the nation’s electricity grid

Related Posts

blank
Medicine

Redefining Birth: Ethics of Artificial Womb Technology

October 23, 2025
blank
Medicine

Gaining an Edge with Enhanced Running Data

October 23, 2025
blank
Medicine

Evaluating Nurse Work Hours in Intensive Care Risks

October 23, 2025
blank
Medicine

New STRATIFY Models Forecast Risks in Hypertension

October 23, 2025
blank
Medicine

Big Pharma’s Innovation Labs Transform Health Care

October 23, 2025
blank
Medicine

Liraglutide Weight Loss Success Factors in Diabetes

October 23, 2025
Next Post
Auburn’s McCrary Institute, ORNL to partner on first regional cybersecurity center to protect the nation’s electricity grid

Auburn’s McCrary Institute, ORNL to partner on first regional cybersecurity center to protect the nation’s electricity grid

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27571 shares
    Share 11025 Tweet 6891
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    980 shares
    Share 392 Tweet 245
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    648 shares
    Share 259 Tweet 162
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    516 shares
    Share 206 Tweet 129
  • Groundbreaking Clinical Trial Reveals Lubiprostone Enhances Kidney Function

    484 shares
    Share 194 Tweet 121
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • South American Long-Necked Dinosaur Adapted for Easy Bipedal Stance
  • Redefining Birth: Ethics of Artificial Womb Technology
    • Black Hole Secrets: Dark Matter Clues Uncovered!
    • Halo’s Shadow on Black Hole Physics
    • Testing Schwarzschild BHs with Dark Matter
    • Astrophysics Probes Black Holes, Dark Matter
  • Revolutionizing Optical Field Control: Metasurface Networks on Lithium Niobate Photonics

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Blog
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 5,188 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading