A research team from the University of Manchester has recently developed a new drug whose purpose is to limit the harm which a stroke can cause, as well as encourage healing in the area in question.
Further good news is that, this specific drug they’re using has already been clinically tested and approved for usage.
Brain, Behavior and Immunity has published the study of these researchers. In it, there is a summary of their treatment’s development. They used mice specifically bred to get ischemic strokes. This is the most common type of stroke there is.
It happens if an artery which supplies the brain with blood rich in oxygen is blocked.
The testing went so. After the mice had experienced a stroke, the researchers gave them IL-1Ra (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist). It is a drug of the anti-inflammatory kind and has already been licensed in treating rheumatoid arthritis.
What happened was that they noticed a significant reduction in the extent of brain damage which they typically observed after a stroke.
They also noticed that, in the days following the treatment, this drug promoted the birth of new cells, called neurogenesis, specifically in areas which had experienced brain damage.
What’s more, the mice had even regained their motor skills, which they had lost because of the stroke.
More of a Danger Than You Think
Not many know this, but the fifth main cause of death in the USA is none other than a stroke. As many as 800,000 individuals fall victim to it on a yearly basis. This statistic comes from CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
These infamous strokes occur when there is an interruption in the flow of the blood to a person’s brain. This occurs mainly for two reasons: either there is a blood clot, or there has been a buildup of fat which had broken off from the arteries and found its way to the brain.
This situation is extremely hazardous since brain cells can die only after a few minutes of the stroke. This can cause some serious and everlasting damage, or, in some cases, death.
There’s Hope, After All
And while there still isn’t an adequate treatment out there to hinder or reverse any damage which brain strokes can cause, there is hope thanks to this new research.
The research team from the University of Manchester truly believes that this new development could bring about some positive changes.
Even though, at the moment, the clinical trials are still in their early stages, the researchers hope to move on, in due time, to trials of a larger scale, and, eventually, even testing on humans.
When combined with some other research, this specific study offers some much-needed hope to those who are suffering and struggling with the consequences of a stroke. And not just here in the US, but on a worldwide level as well.
