An unexpected vegetable turned out to be effective against an incurable disease

A substance from ordinary broccoli is capable of fighting an incurable nervous system disease — Friedreich's ataxia. This discovery was made by scientists from Swinburne University of Technology.

The results of the breakthrough study have been published in the authoritative journal Antioxidants & Redox Signaling (ARS). At the center of attention is the natural compound sulforaphane, found in broccoli.

Friedreich's ataxia is a rare hereditary disease in which the body has a catastrophic deficiency of the protein frataxin, which is vital for normal cell function. The disease ruthlessly destroys the nervous system: a person gradually loses the ability to walk, speak, and independently manage everyday tasks. To date, no effective treatment exists.

However, laboratory experiments have yielded encouraging results. Scientists established that sulforaphane is capable of increasing levels of that very missing protein — frataxin. In addition, the compound reduced inflammation and cellular stress, and also helped protect nerve cells from damage.

In effect, the substance from broccoli acts on several mechanisms of disease development simultaneously. However, for now this concerns exclusively laboratory data, not a ready-made treatment for patients.

An important point: sulforaphane has already passed safety testing in children and adults and is available in the form of dietary supplements. Next in line are clinical trials involving humans. If they confirm the compound's effectiveness, sulforaphane could form the basis of a new accessible method of therapy for Friedreich's ataxia.