With appalling mortality and recovery rates, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating disease with poor long-term outcomes for those who manage to survive. % indicated that the condition worsened within 28 days.
In fact, only a quarter of ICH-associated brain deterioration occurs in the first 24-hour window. Most occur in a secondary step, when blood cells are lysed and neurotoxic products are produced. This stage of ICH is becoming increasingly deadly as no effective treatment is available.
Now, a team from the University of Helsinki, in collaboration with neuroscience researchers in Taiwan, has investigated whether certain proteins have the ability to essentially target the site of injury and perform a life-saving cleanup.
While this protein, brain dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF), is currently being investigated for possible use in treating Parkinson’s disease, scientists have discovered that it also boosts immune cell responses after ICH.
“It’s interesting to note that the brain contains a lot of waste and debris after a bleeding episode,” said study co-author Vasileios Straturias of the University of Helsinki. Nutrient factors remove waste products that are consumed by immune cells in the brain and are essential for brain recovery!”
CDNF hastened resolution of hemorrhagic lesions, reduced brain swelling, and improved functional outcomes in the animal models used in the study. CDNF also reduced cellular stress in the area surrounding the hematoma site of injury and facilitated the clearance of immune cells to seek out accumulated waste and debris.
“Surprisingly, brain dopamine neurotrophic factors act on immune cells in the bleeding brain by increasing anti-inflammatory mediators and suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines involved in cell signaling. We discovered that it does,” said co-author Mikko Airavaara. Professor at the University of Helsinki. “This is an important step towards treating brain hemorrhage damage, for which there is currently no cure.”
The study was published in a journal Nature.
Source: University of Helsinki
