New Injectable Treatment Helps Brain Rebuild After Stroke

Topic: Health

Scientists at Duke University created an injectable biomaterial that helps the brain recover from damage caused by a stroke. In experiments with mice, the material improved motor function and encouraged healing in the damaged area.

Millions of people experience ischemic strokes each year. These strokes occur when a blood clot blocks blood flow to part of the brain. Emergency treatments can restore circulation and save some brain tissue, but once brain tissue has died, restoring blood flow cannot replace what's been lost.

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have created an injectable biomaterial that may help the brain recover from damage left behind by a stroke. In experiments with mice, the material transformed the cavity created by lost brain tissue into a more favorable environment for healing. The treatment recruited the body's own immune cells, encouraged the formation of new blood vessels, supported changes in neural tissue, and improved motor function in the animals.

The researchers used MAPS (microporous annealed particle scaffolds), which are made up of individual hydrogel microparticles that assemble into a porous structure. This scaffold provides cells with a framework to rebuild neural tissue. The team also focused on astrocytes, star-shaped cells that play important roles in normal brain function and respond quickly when the brain is injured.

The researchers collected EVs (extracellular vesicles) from lab-grown astrocytes and tested them with different signaling molecules designed to attract immune cells, encourage blood vessel repair, and improve function. They chemically attached these EVs to the surfaces of the hydrogel microparticles, keeping the signals concentrated within the scaffold.

Why It Matters

This breakthrough could lead to new treatments for stroke victims in India, where millions suffer from strokes each year. It's a step towards helping people recover and regain their motor functions after a stroke.

Key Facts

• Millions of people experience ischemic strokes each year.
• The researchers at Duke University created an injectable biomaterial that helps the brain recover from damage left behind by a stroke.
• The material recruited the body's own immune cells, encouraged the formation of new blood vessels, and improved motor function in mice.
• MAPS (microporous annealed particle scaffolds) are made up of individual hydrogel microparticles that assemble into a porous structure.
• Astrocytes are star-shaped cells that play important roles in normal brain function and respond quickly when the brain is injured.

Key Terms

Ischemic stroke

A type of stroke caused by a blood clot blocking blood flow to part of the brain

MAPS (microporous annealed particle scaffolds)

An injectable biomaterial made up of individual hydrogel microparticles that assemble into a porous structure

Astrocytes

Star-shaped cells that play important roles in normal brain function and respond quickly when the brain is injured

Implications

This breakthrough could lead to new treatments for stroke victims in India, where millions suffer from strokes each year. It's a step towards helping people recover and regain their motor functions after a stroke.