Scientists identify an existing drug that could aid in therapy for brain swelling
pharmafile | November 23, 2016 | News story | Medical Communications, Research and Development |Â Â University of Arkansas, concussion, head injuryÂ
A team of biomedical engineering researches, who performed their study at the University of Arkansas, have identified a drug that could help prevent the expression of a protein occurring during concussion.
The study found that acetazolamide, a generic drug that is commonly used for treatment of epilepsy and altitude sickness, reduces the expression of the protein aquaporin-4.
“Our study found that mild traumatic brain injury resulted in increased expression of a protein called aquaporin-4, which caused a massive cellular influx of fluid, leading to increased astrocyte cell volume and injury,” explained Kartik Balachandran, assistant professor of biomedical engineering. “We then worked with a drug called Acetazolamide. Our results showed that Acetazolamide minimized cell swelling and injury, suggesting a therapeutic role for this drug in reducing the detrimental effects of concussions.”
Mild traumatic brain injury, which is commonly known as concussion, is a potentially dangerous condition that can lead to death in patients. One of the main factors in why concussion can lead to death is because of the swelling, or edema, in astrocytes – the most common cell type in the brain.
This type of injury to the brain most often occurs in car accidents, with soldiers and in contact sports. It is the last situation that is receiving the most attention, as more research begins to come to light on the potentially damaging effects of head trauma and concussion through impacts to the head. Particularly, there has been an increased focus in American football, and recently in football as well, with more studies being conducted into the results of children heading footballs.
This research is then particularly timely as it may offer a new way of treating those suffering from concussion. The researchers used a benchtop bioreactor to examine astrocyte cells. The device allowed the researches to ascertain that the protein, aquaporin-4, was increased after milk traumatic brain injury, which results in increased astrocyte cell volume.
“This study demonstrates the collaborative neuro-engineering efforts that are contributing to both diagnostic and therapeutic methods for addressing traumatic brain injury,” said Raj Rao, professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arkansas.
Ben Hargreaves
Related Content
Xenon halts effects of head injuries in mice
Researchers at Imperial College London (ICL) and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have shown that xenon …
