Scientists have discovered that a component found in grapefruit and other citrus fruits may successfully block the development of kidney cysts, according to a study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.
Researchers from the Royal Holloway University, St. George's, the University of London and Kingston University London in the UK, say that the component, called naringenin, could be used to develop new drugs for the treatment of polycystic kidney disease.
It is an inherited disorder that causes cysts to develop in the kidneys. The disease can lead to loss of kidney function, high blood pressure leading to heart attack and stroke, as well as brain aneurysms. Onset is most common between the ages of 30 and 60.
According to the American Kidney Fund, more than 600,000 people in the US suffer from polycystic kidney disease - the most common form of the disease being autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).
Naringenin regulates PKD2 protein
For their research, the team conducted an experiment on a single-celled amoeba containing a protein called PKD2. This is the protein responsible for the development of polycystic kidney disease.
It was discovered that when naringenin came into contact with the PKD2 protein, it became regulated, blocking the formation of cysts.
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