11th December 2007

Scientists at the University of Chester have joined forces with colleagues in the USA to develop two new vitamin compounds that could potentially reduce the risk of heart disease and dementia

Early tests carried out by the University’s Dr Catherine Birch and Professor John Williams have been so successful that one of the vitamin B12 derivatives – called thiolatocobalamins – has now been licensed by Pamlab, L.L.C, a US based medical food and pharmaceutical company, with a view to conducting further tests and possible full-scale clinical trials on the new compound

Elevated blood levels of the amino acid, homocysteine, significantly increase the risk of suffering a number of common conditions, including cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease

While vitamin B12 and folic acid are effective in breaking down harmful homocysteine within the body, extensive testing has found the newly-developed compounds to be more than four times more effective than these remedies used in isolation

Dr Birch said: “These compounds are very stable and the results in our tests have been outstanding.  Projecting forward, we are hopeful that this could lead to the development of on-the-shelf or prescriptive medication within the next five to six years

“The compounds would improve cardiovascular function and reduce the damaging effects of oxidative stress in tissues in the body, which is linked to conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. It is clear we are talking about something that would potentially make a difference to the lives of millions of people across the world”

Dr Birch carried out tests using human vascular cells in a model cell system of vascular disease. The results indicate that the compounds reduce inflammatory damage due to exposure to homocysteine, and rescue vascular cells from stress-related death

The University is working with Professor Nicola Brasch at Kent State University in Ohio, USA, and the institutions hold a 50% share of the patents for the derivatives. The link between the institutions was forged through Wrexham-based GP, Dr Andrew McCaddon who is also a scientific advisor for Chester based research company COBALZ Limited

Oxidative stress caused through an increase in homocysteine is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which kills an estimated 16.7million people globally every year, making it the biggest cause of premature death in the western world

Many medical experts believe that over 12%* of these are attributable to elevated homocysteine levels, equating to two million potentially preventable deaths. However, even a small drop in homocysteine levels can reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular complications by 16%*

Many studies over the past 15 years have found that elevated levels of homocysteine are a strong risk factor for impaired cognitive performance, dementia development, and progression, amplifying the chance of developing Alzheimer’s Disease by as much as 150%*

Elevated homocysteine concentrations are also associated with osteoporosis, pregnancy complications and underachievement in adolescence