A chemical found in tea might just hold the key to restoring olfactory capabilities. At the Experimental Biology meeting in Washington DC this spring, neurobiologist Robert Henkin revealed some interesting findings. Henkin, director of the Taste and Smell Clinic, has been treating patients with theophylline, a stimulant that’s abundant in black tea, and seeing some success. Henking had done studies among people with loss of smell (anosmia), and found a correlation between presence of cyclic-AMP and cyclic-GMP in nasal mucus and the ability to smell. Theophylline inhibits the breakdown of these compounds, as well as acting to decrease “death factors” in nasal mucus. Read more in Science News
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