A collaborative team of researchers from several U.S. institutions has discovered that a compound called genipin, derived from the Cape jasmine plant, may promote nerve regeneration. Damaged neurons, which struggle to grow due to disease, showed signs of recovery in laboratory conditions when exposed to this plant-derived compound.
Genipin is extracted from the fruit of the versatile gardenia plant, typically found in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. The plant is widely cultivated by gardeners familiar with its striking flowers and fragrant aroma.
This compound is being investigated as a potential treatment for familial dysautonomia, a rare degenerative disorder of the nervous system caused by a gene mutation. According to Kenji Saito-Dias, a regenerative medicine researcher at the University of Georgia, genipin may hold the key to effective treatment for this condition.
"Familial dysautonomia is a devastating disorder caused by a homozygous point mutation in the ELP1 gene," Saito-Dias noted in a study published in Science Translational Medicine. "It significantly impacts the development and degeneration of the peripheral nervous system." The peripheral nervous system includes all nerves branching from the spinal cord to all parts of the body.
Familial dysautonomia affects the development and survival of critical nerve cells, leading to severe neurological and cardiac symptoms. Current treatments do not offer a cure for affected patients.
Research indicates that genipin may counteract key symptoms of this hereditary condition. Saito-Dias emphasized the global priority of finding therapies that promote nerve growth, as many individuals suffer from nerve degeneration or peripheral nerve damage.
Familial dysautonomia initially impacts breathing, temperature regulation, blood pressure, and tear production. As the disease progresses, patients may experience abnormal heart rhythms, scoliosis, insensitivity to pain, vision loss, impaired breathing control, and increased susceptibility to lung infections.
Genetics experts from the Cleveland Clinic report that while familial dysautonomia is rare, it is most prevalent among individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, affecting approximately 1 in 10,000 in the U.S. and 1 in 3,700 in Israel at birth.
Historically, gardenia compounds have played a significant role in traditional medicine. For centuries, traditional healers in China have utilized gardenia plants for their medicinal properties, treating conditions such as depression, inflammation, and insomnia.
In the 1980s, Japanese researchers discovered a blue dye from the fruit of the gardenia, leading to further exciting findings, including genipin, which is studied for its potential anti-cancer properties.
Saito-Dias and colleagues serendipitously identified genipin while screening a library of 640 compounds for candidates that could protect sensory neurons from degeneration. Laboratory tests revealed that genipin not only restored proper development of sensory neurons but also prevented early cell degeneration and improved peripheral nerve formation in mouse models of familial dysautonomia.
The researchers suggest that genipin's therapeutic effects may be linked to its ability to enhance cross-linking in the extracellular matrix, significantly promoting the regeneration of severed axons in healthy sensory and cortical neurons.
This research involved collaboration among multiple institutions, including the University of Georgia, the University of Tennessee, Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, and the Stem Cell Biology Center at the Sloan Kettering Institute.