Brasch Explores New B-12 Compound That May Defend Against Ailments of Aging

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Anyone who’s made fruit salad knows how the white flesh of an otherwise picture-perfect apple will turn brown once it’s removed from the protection of its glossy red skin.

Dr. Nicola Brasch, assistant professor of chemistry, likens the reaction — known as oxidative stress — to the human body’s aging process. Furthermore, the buildup of this molecular and cellular damage increases our vulnerabilities to illness as we grow older.

Photo by Frank Mueller

Dr. Nicola Brasch, assistant professor of chemistry, leads Kent State’s Bioinorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Research Group. She is working with colleagues from The Cleveland Clinic to explore a new, patented compound derived from vitamin B12.

Oxidative stress is associated with the production of reactive, harmful, oxygen-containing radicals, which attack and damage important molecules in our bodies, including proteins, lipids and DNA, Brasch says. Oxidative stress also plays a role in a wide variety of diseases — most of them linked to aging — including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and various neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. 

Brasch, who leads Kent State’s Bioinorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, is working with colleagues from The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute to explore the possibility that a new, patented compound derived from vitamin B₁₂ might curb this process and consequently reduce the incidence of many diseases that plague humanity. 

Take your vitamins 

Vitamin B₁₂ is very busy in our bodies. It plays a role in metabolizing homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood. A deficiency of B₁₂, according to recent research findings, can lead to increased risk of heart disease, stroke and cognitive impairment. Pernicious anemia and neurological disorders top the list of B₁₂ deficiency-related health consequences. 

B₁₂ is synthesized by a variety of microorganisms found in soil, water and the stomachs and intestines of animals. Vegetarians and individuals who don’t eat much meat are more likely to suffer from B₁₂ deficiency; after all, humans obtain their dally requirement of vitamin B₁₂ almost exclusively from meat products. 

Despite the abundance and variety of food in the Western world, vitamin deficiencies remain widespread. Approximately 20 percent or more of the U.S. population over the age of 65 are believed to be B₁₂ deficient; the deficiency happens during the course of a lifetime, usually without one’s knowledge, and the effects manifest later in life. The body’s natural aging process exacerbates the problem — as people age, levels of a protein that assists in absorption of B₁₂ decrease.

License to heal 

Pamlab, L.L.C., a Louisiana-based pharmaceutical company, has licensed from Kent State, through the university’s Office of Technology Transfer, both the synthesis of NAC-B₁₂ and its therapeutic applications for the treatment of diseases associated with oxidative stress. “We are extremely pleased to see this promising compound and the work of Dr. Brasch progressing toward commercialization with Pamlab” notes Gregory Wilson, associate vice president for economic development and strategic partnerships.

To find out more about Brasch’s B₁₂ research, read “Vitamin Power” from Kent State Magazine.

You can also learn more about the university’s resources for technology licensing on the Office of Technology Transfer Web site or in the “Anatomy of the Technology Transfer” video (Watch the Anatomy of Technology Transfer video in Windows Media Player or watch the Anatomy of Technology Transfer video in QuickTime.)