Tryptophan And Autoimmune

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Calming the immune system

Last updated: Wednesday, November 09, 2005

A substance called tryptophan, found in turkeys and a number of other foods, can suppress an overactive immune system and may point the way to new treatments for autoimmune disorders, according to new research.

Stanford University scientists found that a breakdown product - kynuerenines - produced in the body by tryptophan drastically reduced inflammation and reversed paralysis in mice with a form of multiple sclerosis (MS), The New York Times reported.

The research was published in the current issue of the journal Science.

"I have always been a skeptic regarding the interaction of diet and immunity. But now I'm getting smacked on the head by my own research," study leader Dr Lawrence Steinman, chairman of Stanford's immunology programme, told The Times.

The findings are "very interesting and quite encouraging," autoimmune disorder expert Dr Marc Feldman, professor of medicine at Imperial College London, told The Times. He said the next step is to determine if this kind of treatment is safe for people. – (HealthDayNews)