Researchers at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have
discovered that tanshinones, which come from the plant Danshen
and are highly valued in Chinese traditional medicine, protect
against the life-threatening condition sepsis. The findings are
published in the December issue of Biochemical Pharmacology.
Inflammation is necessary for maintaining good health - without
inflammation, wounds and infections would never heal. However,
persistent and constant inflammation can damage tissue and
organs, and lead to diseases such as sepsis. Sepsis affects
approximately 750,000 Americans each year, 28 to 50 percent of
whom die from the condition, and costs the nation's healthcare
system nearly $17 billion annually. It is a potentially life-
threatening complication of an infection or injury, and occurs
when chemicals released into the bloodstream to fight the
infection trigger inflammation throughout the body. The result
is that organs become damaged, including liver, heart, lungs,
kidney and brain. If excessiv