JAPAN: SCIENTISTS FIND PAPAYA EXTRACT MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN STEMMING SARS VIRUS

Record ID: 740685

  • Title: JAPAN: SCIENTISTS FIND PAPAYA EXTRACT MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN STEMMING SARS VIRUS
  • Date: 21st April 2003
  • Summary: (W4) TOKYO, JAPAN (APRIL 22, 2003)(REUTERS) CU PAPAYA BEING CUT (W4) TOKYO, JAPAN (APRIL 21, 2003) (REUTERS) SV DOCTOR LUC MONTAGNIER ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE CU DOCUMENT WITH COVER READING: "HIV DISCOVER" SV (SOUNDBITE) (English) MONTAGNIER SAYING "This extract is a complex mixture of factors with both immune-stimulating activities and anti-oxidant activities. And, of c
  • Embargoed: 6th May 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Health,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA4NQT8NRRBYBY7HVJGRU6CPOVB
  • Story Text: One of the scientists who pioneered research into the AIDS virus has said a treatment using papaya extract may be effective in stemming SARS as scientists struggle to find a cure.
    Scientists researching the deadly SARS virus say that papayas may ward off the disease.
    Doctor Luc Montagnier, president of the Paris-based World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention, said on Monday (April 21) he believed an extract of fermented papaya could improve immunity to and symptoms caused by viruses including SARS, although he pointed out that the treatment has not been backed up by research.
    "This extract is a complex mixture of factors with both immune-stimulating activities and anti-oxidant activities.
    And, of course, we have not done any study of oxidative stress of SARS patients, but I would guess this exists. There's probably a stronger oxidative stress and there is a reason, a rationale to use this kind of product," Montagnier, who is one of the team of scientists who first isolated the virus that causes AIDS, told reporters following a medical conference.
    Montagnier said he had recommended the extract to colleagues treating patients in France.
    The deadly flu-like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus has infected more than 3,800 and killed more than 200, mostly in Asia.
    He added it could be years before a cure for SARS is found and until then, prevention was the only medicine.
    "Maybe by chance we will find something, but probably more likely situation will be it will take some years before we get specific drugs against this. The vaccine probably will come in a quicker time, but it will also take some time because we have to find a way to grow the virus or to produce the proteins by various biogenetic engineering, do some animal studies so we have some animal models to show that this vaccine will protect. So, I think there's no medical solution in the coming months. We have to rely on prevention and in the existing immune system," he said.
    The AIDS virus was discovered in 1983 and it was 1995 before there were treatments that could really improve the patients.
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