http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=56494&nfid=nl
Complementary Medicine Has A Role In The Treatment Of Allergic Diseases
Excerpts:
Herbal therapy is in the mainstream of modern medical practice in China
for
treating asthma, although the role for TCM in Western countries has not
been
established as there are no FDA approved botanical drugs for treating
asthma.
Dr. Li and colleagues have received a grant from the National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine to investigate a three-herb Chinese
formula known as ASHMI, as a therapy for allergic asthma. Studies of the
herbal formula first looked at its mechanism of action in an animal model,
characterized the active components of the herbs, and have completed an
investigation with asthma patients.
The study, conducted as a collaborative project with Weifang Asthma
Hospital
in China, investigated the efficacy and safety of ASHMI in 91 patients
with
asthma. In this randomized, double-blind active-controlled study, patients
received either ASHMI or prednisone for four weeks.
In the animal study, we found that ASHMI was effective in suppressing AHR,
eosinophilic inflammation and airway remodeling, and had an
immunomodulatory
effect on Th1/Th2 responses," said Dr. Li.
"In our clinical trial, there was significantly improved lung function and
symptom scores in patients who used ASHMI," said Dr. Li. "There was a
beneficial immunoregulatory effect on Th1/Th2 balance. This study
indicates
that ASHMI may be an effective, safe, and well-tolerated botanical drug."
There is an ongoing FDA approved clinical trials at Mount Sinai School of
Medicine to investigate whether ASHMI can reduce or replace
corticosteroids
in persistent moderate-to-severe asthma.
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