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HerbalEGram: Volume 2
St. John’s Wort Protein Suppresses HIV-1 Gene Expression
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Researchers at Temple University in Philadelphia have discovered a new protein, called p27SJ, extracted from the callus culture of St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), which in an in vitro study inhibits the expression of the gene associated with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), a primary cause of AIDS.
The study was conducted by lead researcher, Kamel Khalili, Ph.D., professor and director of the Center for Neurovirology (CNV) at Temple University’s School of Medicine’s Department of Neuroscience (where he is also acting department chair).
Dr. Khalili and his research group were originally examining plant extracts from St. John’s wort (SJW) that had been cultured in the laboratory (as opposed to grown in the ground) to determine if the extracts produced an effect on neuron cell growth or the behavior of brain cells during in vitro studies.
According to an article posted on Newswise.com, the researchers do not know if this protein is found in commercial SJW dietary supplements, since these come from cultivated SJW plants while this protein was extracted from the callus of a cell-cultured SJW plant in a laboratory. Dr. Khalili also emphasized that the public should not misinterpret this preliminary research to believe that SJW dietary supplements could be used as a treatment for people infected with the HIV-1 virus.
Dr. Khalili was quoted as saying, “We don’t know yet how we have to deliver the protein to cells infected with HIV-1. Even if the protein were present in the tablets, we don’t know how much might be present and whether the protein would be effective when ingested.”
This is not the first time SJW has been linked to HIV and AIDS research. In the 1980s researchers had been looking at the potential anti-retroviral effects of hypericin from SJW, but the compound did not pan out to become a safe and effective medicine.
Dr. Khalili and his colleague’s findings were published online in the Oct. 27 issue of Gene Therapy (http://www.nature.com/gt). More on this research can be found at http://www.temple.edu/cnvcb.
---Mark Blumenthal
Source: Protein in St. John’s wort found to suppress HIV-1 gene expression. Available at: http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/515524/
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