Training the brain to resist stroke

It is possible to increase the resistance of the heart to oxygen deprivation during cardiovascular crisis. This can limit damage caused by cardiac crisis. A similar strategy may soon be present in the brain with important consequences for the treatment of stroke.

500,000 people suffer first-time strokes each year in the US claiming the lives of 160,000 of these patients making it the third largest cause of death.

About 24 percent of women and 42 percent of men who suffer one stroke will suffer a second stroke within five years.

About 25 percent of second strokes are fatal and second strokes that don't kill tend to cause more brain damage than initial strokes.

Chilling statistics - especially since the main stroke prevention treatment up until now has been aspirin -and improved treatments are urgently required.

Since the mid 1990s, mitochondrial KATP channels were found to condition the heart to ischemia. Identifying a similar role in the brain could be of considerable benefit to the treatment of stroke. According to new data overviewed in yesterdays edition of TherapeuticAdvances, a leading bulletin of cutting edge technology with pharmaceutical potential this may shortly be possible.

Researchers in Oregon have now shown that a similar but novel channel exists in brain mitochondria and activators of this channel effectively stimulate the respiratory rate of mitochondria. Having isolated the channel and developed tools to identify drugs able to modulate it therapeutic hope may be on the horizon.

According to LeadDiscovery consultants "much work must be carried out to progress from concept to clinic however this group with their experience and biological tools should, along-side drug development companies should be able to develop drugs able to precondition the brain to ischemia".

Maybe improved treatments to prevent the devastating effects of second strokes are in site.

For information on in-depth analyses of this and related work visit the LeadDiscovery website at http://www.leaddiscovery.co.uk/target-discovery/therapeuticadvances.html.

LeadDiscovery is a leading Sussex based firm of drug discovery, development and commercialization consultants whose aim is to combine a background in the pharmaceutical industry with an internet platform to help academic and biotech based research groups to exploit their technology.