World-First Clinical Trial To Study African Traditional Medicine
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Described as a hotspot of botanical diversity, there are more than 20,000 indigenous plant species in South Africa. Several thousand of them are used by traditional healers every day in that country for treating a range of problems from the common cold to serious diseases such as AIDS. How safe and effective these treatments are will be the focus of The International Center for Indigenous Phytotherapy Studies (TICIPS), a collaborative research effort between the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. The center will be funded by a $4.4 million, 4-year grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicines (NCCAM), a division of the National Institutes of Health.
"The American and South African citzens have strong interests in complementary and alternative medicine practices, but little is known of their safety and effectiveness," said Bill Folk, senior associate dean for research in the School of Medicine, principal investigator of the grant and co-director of TICIPS.
Folk and U.S. research teams from MU, University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), Missouri Botanical Garden, University of Texas and Georgetown University will partner with Quinton Johnson, director of the South African Herbal Science and Medicine Institute and co-director of TICIPS at the University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town, University of Kwazulu-Natal (UKZ-N) in South Africa, and South African traditional healers. Together, they will study the medicinal properties, safety and effectiveness of several African plants in use today by traditional healers. South Africa is home to more than 200,000 traditional healers who care for more than 27 million people.
"TICIPS is especially significant, since it presents the very first opportunity for medical doctors, scientists and traditional healers to internationally cooperate as equal partners in exploring indigenous African phytotherapies for AIDS, secondary infection and immune modulation," Johnson said. "Furthermore, TICIPS creates a unique bridge between Western and African medicine systems, with the aim of bringing hope, health and healing to all."
The Center's first projects will examine two plants used widely in South Africa. One of those projects, led by Kathy Goggin of UMKC and Doug Wilson of UKZ-N, will investigate whether Sutherlandia, or Lessertia frutescens, is safe in HIV-infected patients and prevents wasting. A previous, small pilot study by TICIPS researchers studied the safety of Sutherlandia in healthy adults. This was the first study of its kind, according to Folk.
Other projects will focus on Artemisia afra, which is widely used to treat respiratory infections. There is suggestive evidence that A. afra might be useful in treating Tuberculosis, which will be explored by TICIPS researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch - Galveston and the University of Cape Town. Another project will examine the plant's potential for preventing or treating cervical cancer. TICIPS researchers from Mizzou, Georgetown University, UKZ-N and the University of the Western Cape will collaborate on the project.
"A real strength of TICIPS comes from the contributions of colleagues outside of the life sciences. Communication is a strong component in order to let the public know what we find," Folk said. "Working with the MU School of Journalism and colleagues at the University of the Western Cape will ensure that our findings about the safety of these plants are distributed among the public, not only in South Africa, but throughout the world. Also, we enjoy a very strong partnership with the Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the world's outstanding botanical centers. Nature has thousands of secrets that we have yet to discover. This is a big first step in uncovering some of those secrets and seeing how we can better understand these alternative medicines."
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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
Face up alternative medicine !
The Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital physicians Hongming
Even the advances in medical technology today, alternative medicine is still popular. In his personal practice, they often see many patients abandon the formal (not to mention the orthodox) Medical, and find other alternatives. Find alternative therapies, to all that China is an alternative therapy (the altornative medicine), the Semantic on some prejudice, not only in the case of Taiwan, especially the United States advanced, 20 years ago, alternative therapies are excluded, not attention. But now they have to face up to the patient to find and costly alternative therapies in the pay.
In 1993, the authority of the New England Journal of Medicine, Statistics, 34% of patients using alternative therapies. Other in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other countries. Statistics, as well. We Taiwan, a higher ratio may see a small temple packed with rostrum, the gods, not to mention life-saving Famen.n
January 2.
When a formal education with the medical staff, or turning a blind eye to see this issue as not, can not provide the patient a reasonable proposal, seems to be unethical (un-ethical), but the health authorities, ignoring the problem, is not responsible for the the. If the retrospective formal medical history, nor is it the more inglorious Spain have harmful Alchemy and some does not seem very inconsistent with the scientific therapy. Take this concept celecoxib is not only ridiculous, but also sad! But respect for the traditional medicine into conventional medicine, but also the causes, and can be based on scientific facts, although that is not entirely scientific truth, but also an undeniable truth of science is the closest. How look at alternative therapies? Then how do we being as alternative therapies (see Table 1)?
First, we must select management agencies, as long as the medical treatment, it should management can preserve universal health. The United States Congress in 1992 ordered state hospitals (NIH) to set up alternative medicine, (OAM, office of Alternative medicine), extensive research classification therapy, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union also have such a plan. Although some questioned whether it was necessary to waste medical resources to do this research, not on the more effective methods of treatment.n
Karl Popper), No Proof (Falsification), to exclude only non-proven to avoid people being misled. Although access to their positive results from the alternative therapies have, such as digoxin, aspirin and other older drugs, a bit like Shennong taste Baicao, by the experience accumulated, most recently as cancer medicine Taxol is extracted from the Pacific by the taxane. Alternative medicine can provide a source of inspiration, but to really effectively, but also according to the scientific facts and in accordance with the compliance scientific methods.
Second is to engage in alternative medicine, we must have considerable training and assessment, the same as regular medicine. Their method, there must also be evidence and quality control, in particular its side-effects, because the requirements of medical ethics is not only beneficial but also sound (do good, not do harm). Finally, regardless of alternative medicine or formal medical, must be consistent with evidence-based medicine (Evidence-based medicine) requirements. These imperfections formal medical why a product of alternative therapies, still in existence?
1. Formal medicine has not yet come to completely perfect.
2. Look forward to alternative therapies, as a supplement therapy (complementary therapy).
3. Alternative therapies, not yet confirmed, was blind letter misused. (Clinical be extended, side effects were ignored! - Fits-all)
4. Random attempt.
5. Not to be regarded as a medical, are non-medical fields.
Finally, how to is as alternative medicine law? They need to January 1 to test it.
Even in the formal clinical medical practice, but also by education and experience, rather than a full proof that, as a result of a physician opened contraceptives, and those taking a major side effects such as thrombosis, he may off after contraceptives, fear. Even lifelong practicing physicians, clinical experience is still limited. It is evidence-based medicine (Evidence-based medicine, EBM) to happen. EBM is the best evidence to make use of existing clinical decision-making (the conscientions and judicions use of the best available evidence from currrent medical-care research in the judgments and decisions that comprise medical practice). How to find the best evidence? You can also do so.
The search for related information, such as Internet search MEDLINE, the cechrane Collaboration of Trials.n
B how to apply? (And your existing knowledge, biomedical foundation and values as the framework comparison) strictly examine alternative therapies to a broader vision, more rigorous assessment, with the formal request to address the medical alternative medicine is necessary.
The alternative therapies, may be a prototype of the future or complementary medicine.
The alternative therapies, tests, should be integrated into the formal medical, as therapies (therapeutic options), combined traditional Chinese and western medicine treatment such as in the scale of the Chinese mainland have been quite effective.
The alternative therapies, must be consistent with scientific facts and the use of the scientific method, and logical reasoning test his statistics.
The alternative therapies, we must control and supervision.
The alternative therapies, must be incorporated into the evidence-based medicine system. Regular medical as well.
The alternative therapies of law enforcement officers, must pass a training and evaluation.n
B Therapeutic touch (for contacts) - the body with his hands placed on a few centimeters, can remove market barriers.
Table 2 validity of the evidence (from high to low)
1. After systemic review and analysis (systematic reviews and meta-analyzes), the integration of a number of the findings of the study, after statistical analysis.
2. Randomized controlled trial, which defines the results (randomized controlled trials with definitive results), the results are clear, stressing understand that no fuzzy overlap.
3. Randomized control trial, no confirmation.
4. Cohort study (cohort studies): different research groups to exposure to different factors, observe the results, prospective study (rv)
5.n
Tomography study (cross sectional surveys): In one section, do fact-finding, ecological research.
7. Case report (case reports): the narrative report a small number of cases, many of the exaggerated media reports, is such that no statistical significance, compared with the control group.
(Source: www.books.com.
Related: World-First Clinical Trial To Study African Traditional Medicine
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