Blue food dye BBG, used in blue M&Ms, could aid recovery from spine injuriesBY TRACY MILLER
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Updated Tuesday, July 28th 2009, 3:42 PM
Takano/University of Rochester Medical Center
A mouse injected with the compound BBG regained the ability to walk after a spine injury - and its ears, feet and nose temporarily turned blue as a side effect.
You may want to start stockpiling those blue M&Ms. A compound similar to the common blue food dye used to color the chocolate candies, as well as drinks such as Gatorade, could help patients recover from spine injuries, new research indicates.
Scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center injected the compound Brilliant Blue G (BBG) into rats that had spinal cord injuries. Those rodents regained the ability to walk with a limp, while rats that didn't receive a dose could not. In a strange side effect, the rats' ears, feet and noses temporarily turned blue.
After the spine is injured, two compounds, ATP and P2X7, contribute to killing off motor neurons, resulting in immobility and paralysis, lead researcher Maiken Nedergaard told CNN. If administered immediately after the injury, BBG interferes with that process, allowing patients to retain some of their mobility as the injury heals. Nedergaard added that BBG offers the potential for improvement in a patient's condition, not a cure for spinal injuries — but nevertheless offers significant hope.
"Even a moderate improvement in functional performance of the patient is a big, big event for these patients," she said. "They can control their bladder. If they can just take small steps instead of sitting in a wheelchair all the time, it's a tremendous benefit for these patients."
Read more:
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/07/28/2009-07-28_blue_food_dye_bbg_used_in_blue_mms_could_aid_recovery_from_spine_injuries.html#ixzz0crAd7LRy
