NIH To Fund Study On Tocotrienol’s Effects On Neuro-Degenerative Diseases
The National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institute of Health (NIH) has awarded in excess of $1 million to investigate how a member of the vitamin E family—alpha-tocotrienol—helps protect against inducible neuronal cell death. This is the first-ever NIH-funded study on alpha-tocotrienol, the palm-derived form of vitamin E. The award is based on preliminary data generated using Edison, NJ-based Carotech’s Tocomin® Full Spectrum Tocotrienol Complex. Previous research on Tocomin® has determined that tocotrienols cross the blood-brain barrier, and are potent protectors of neuron cells that may be killed due to stroke and other neurodegenerative diseases. The NIH-funded study will look at the mechanism by which alpha-tocotrienol exerts its neuroprotective action. It will lay the foundation for a safe and efficient approach to preventing cell death and securing normal neural function under challenging conditions.