Psyched Wellness (CSE:PSYC, OTCQB:PSYCF) Ltd has announced preliminary data from tests completed by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) that potentially indicates that AME-1 boosts the antiviral immune response in the brain.
Recent work investigated how AME-1 extract could modify microglial functions, which facilitate neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration.
In a recent study, researchers stimulated human microglial cells with cell walls of bacteria (LPS), viral components (such as poly I:C nucleotides) and inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the presence of AME-1 to determine if AME-1 could modify how microglia respond to these common stimulants.
READ: Psyched Wellness announces that its proprietary Amanita Muscaria Extract (AME-1) is now available for preorder in the USA
Researchers found that a specific nucleotide, poly I:C, caused the microglia to be more activated than normal and produce important immune mediators. This could potentially indicate that AME-1 boosts the antiviral immune response in the brain, perhaps protecting brain tissue from viral infection, Psyched noted.
The study found that AME-1 had no significant effect on how microglia respond to LPS and TNF, but potentiated poly I:C activation of microglial cells. This resulted in greater production of the chemokine IL-8, a protein that attracts immune cells to the site of infection.
According to Psyched, preliminary research showed that this process may be mediated by AME-1 upregulation of the Toll-Like Receptor -3, which is the receptor that mediates microglial responses to poly I:C.
Further experiments will examine how AME-1 upregulates TLR3 by microglial cells and how this could be contributing to the increased responses to poly I:C, which may contribute to the anti-viral immune response in the brain and thus reduce viral infection, the company said in a statement.
Key functional properties of AME-1
"This additional preliminary evidence of the investigative study is revealing key functional properties of the AME-1 extract,” Brian Tancowny, scientific advisor to Psyched Wellness (CSE:PSYC, OTCQB:PSYCF), told investors in a statement.
“This Amanita Muscaria mushroom functional properties will be further investigated and identified in this scientific approach to help understand the functional neuroprotective property of AME-1,” he added.
Psyched noted that more work is needed to further investigate the potential benefits from the natural product AME-1.
"When it comes to the Amanita Muscaria mushroom, we are the first in many fields of research," said David Shisel, the company's COO. "Our extract, AME-1 provides us with the opportunity to do multiple studies and the more we examine the extract, the more we understand this incredible powerful mushroom. This is just the tip of the iceberg and we plan to continue researching and understanding its powers along the way."
Psyched Wellness is launching its first AME-1 product, Calm, in the coming months.
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