It is the first time a product extracted from Crinum latifolium L. leaves, a Vietnamese medicinal herb, was successfully researched by Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram to conquer BHP and uterine fibroids. This success helped her to win the Kovalevskaya Award after 15 years of hard study.
Dr. Tram talked about the Crinum latifolium L. with excitement and ambition, “I desire Crila can cure cancer and the combination of Crinum latifolium L. with several other Vietnamese plants can stimulate patients’ immune system, and support the treatment of AIDS patients.”
For now, Crila are proven to treat BHP and uterine fibroids. The evidence is that on July 21, 2005, Vietnam Drug Administration officially allowed Crila to circulate in Vietnam. Through modern methods of examination, ultrasound, and PSA test on patients having BPH and anticipating to have prostate cancer, she has got the clearest and most persuasive evidences to prove her research work. For example, a patient with a 63-mm tumor was assigned to surgery. After being treated with Crila, the tumor size reduced to 25mm. Moreover, Crila also works well in improving patients’ urination at night, from 8-10 times/night to 2-3 times/night after taking Crila, then patients don’t have to repeat their trips to bathroom at night anymore. Another example, patients having uterine fibroids with five fibromata, taking the drug, they have only 1-2 fibromata or no fibroma.
Reminiscing about these difficult days, Dr Tram shook her head and said ‘Though the drug was undergone a clinical trial overseas, back to Vietnam I had to do all again. If scientists or doctors suspected any problems or asked any questions, I had to answer or prove them with all my effort. I spent 5 years on convincing scientists to agree CRILA test on patients at hospitals.’
‘So what is the incentive to help you overcome these challenges?’ I asked. Without hesitation, she smiled gently and answered my question ‘The joy of patients. I know I am on the right way and the well-progressing results of patients during treatment with CRILA makes me firm and determined. There was a patient in the Mekong Delta with uterine fibroids who is married but childless. Her husband's family consistently wanted the couple to separate. Now, everything is OK and she gave birth to a boy. While she was calling to thank me, she sobbed and said ‘I haven’t had a chance to visit you in person yet, but I and my baby are forever grateful to you.’
However, Dr. Tram noted that users should pay special attention to distinguish the right Crinum latifolium L. with others. Nowadays, many people knowing about Crinum latifolium L. through words of mouth use leaves of unknown plants, this can lead to disastrous consequences. For example, Crinum latifolium L. of Cambodia has contraceptive effect besides similar effects like Vietnamese one. So, if women with uterine fibroids misuse, they can become sterile. Moreover, many other plants have appearance quite alike to Vietnamese Crinum latifolium L., but contain a lot of toxics.
Not many people know that the person who always supports her spirit as well as her great teacher is her father: Prof. Doctor in Science and labor hero Nguyen Van Truong. At the age of 58 but when referring to his father, Dr. Tram suddenly was like a little girl. She said, “He is the one that sets the direction and lays foundation for building my love and passion for science.” Her respectable father wished her to become a pharmacist when she was a little girl. He was always her driving force and belief for her bumpy but glorious path of scientific research
On December 25, 2007 Kovalevskaya Award Committee has given the prize of the year to a group of female scientists for their research work “Optical property of semi-conductive materials and dielectric” which belongs to the General Physics, Department of Physics, University of Science (VNU) and Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram - Director of Research Development and Manufacture CRINA Center.
PHUONG LE