text_1: Oregano, Thyme May Hold the Cure for Wasting Syndrome Disease
text_2: This release suffers from over-reach and obfuscation — a bad combination. The release cites some pre-clinical animal research at the University of Iowa that suggests that components of the spices oregano and thyme may represent a “cure” for cachexia, a wasting disease that affects cancer patients and others with debilitating diseases. Unfortunately, readers aren’t told that the research was in mice — not humans — until very late in the release. There’s no information on whether the research has been published, or met any other form of peer review. (When we asked to see the study, the media relations team at the university declined and told us the research hadn’t been published.) The spice compounds referred to aren’t named, nor are cost or potential harms addressed. The release doesn’t explain who funded the research or disclose that the university has applied for a patent on the compound. It doesn’t note that the researcher quoted in the release is listed as the inventor on the patent application and would likely stand to benefit financially from its commercialization. The release does note that a pharmaceutical firm has been licensed to market a drug based on the research. Editor’s note: This news release raised serious questions about oversight of the University of Iowa’s research-related communications to the public. We blogged about those questions here but have yet to receive a satisfactory response from the university media relations team. Update 8/24/17: A response received from the university, more than two weeks after the initial request, raises additional serious questions about the university’s process for promoting research, which critics termed “utterly irresponsible.” We wrote about it here. Cachexia is a serious condition typified by chronic weight loss that can affect a patient’s nutritional status and ability to undergo or continue treatment. Striking those with chronic diseases, it weakens patients and in some cases can hasten their demise. If it could be thwarted by compounds from spices, that would represent a real boon. But this release — and the research it reports — does not provide readers with valid and adequate information. Unfortunately, it may play on the hopes of those afflicted with cachexia and their families, offering false hopes instead of new findings.