Green Tea, the magic potion to treat bone-marrow diseases

Recent studies by the researchers of Washington University of St Louis along with their German collaborators have found that a compound ‘epigallocatechine-3-gallate’ (EGCG) found in green tea leaves help the patients suffering from bone-marrow disorders.

Multiple myeloma and amyloidosis which are the life threatening medical complications associated with bone-marrow disorders can be treated with the help of EGCG of green tea leaves.

This research study was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. EGCG is a polyphenol present in green tea leaves.

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Patients with bone marrow disorders are more prone to a fatal condition called light chain amyloidosis, the condition in which the person’s own antibodies mishappen and accumulates in various organs of the body including heart and kidneys.

The study was carried out to find out the working of light chain amyloidosis and how the green tea compound affects this specific protein.

The research was carried out by isolating light chains from nine patients suffering with bone marrow disorders after they suffered multiple myeloma or amyloidosis.

The lab experiments were then carried out to see how the green tea compound affected the light chain protein.

The study indicated that EGCG of the green tea transformed the light chain amyloid in bone marrow patients and thus help in preventing the mishappening and replicating of the antibodies thus preventing their accumulation in body organs.

Generally fibril structures are formed in the organs affected with amyloidosis.

The light chain was transformed into different types of aggregates which were not harmful and did not form fibril structures in the presence of ECGC of green tea. Thus patients with bone marrow disorders can get benefit by consuming green tea.