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S C HW E R P U N K T 32 »Vitamin E is an antioxidant; it neutra- lizes cell-damaging free radicals«, ex- plains PD Dr Andreas Koeberle from the Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. What has been sufficiently proven in cell and animal models under laboratory conditions has so far failed to convince in practice: »Clinical studies have pro- duced very heterogeneous results«, says Koeberle. »It is not just that the positive effects of vitamin E often do not occur to the expected degree; sometimes there are even detrimental effects«, continues the biochemist. Dr Koeberle and his colleagues have now found a possible cause for this: as Is it all down to luck? It is said to stop skin from aging, reduce joint degeneration in rheuma- tism and arthritis, and even protect against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. For nearly 100 years, researchers have been studying the effects of vitamin E and they have to a great extent clarified the che- mical basis of its action in cell and animal models. However, vitamin E has so far failed to convince in clinical studies on patients. Bio- chemists and pharmacists from Jena, together with an international team have now explained the reasons for this. BY UTE SCHÖNFELDER F E AT U R E