Nobody ever thought head trauma was a good thing , but ongoing studies make it clear just how big it can be . Now , researcher have get down testing an experimental drug that may help prevent some of the hurt ’s negative effect . Their consequence were recently release in the journalPLoS One .
The effects of traumatic brain injury ( TBI)can last a life-time . At the second , concord to study Colorado - generator Linda Van Eldik , handling choice for TBI are special . " Traumatic brain accidental injury represents a major unmet medical need , as there is currently no effective therapy to foreclose the increased endangerment of dementia and other neurological complications , such as post - traumatic epilepsy , neuropsychiatric disorder , and send concussive symptoms such as headaches , sleep disturbances , retention problems , dizziness , and irritability,“she said in a press release .
The researchers desire to nurse on to the benefits of resistant reaction while stuff the inflammation that can lead to late job . They believe the best nominee for this process may be a compound called MW151 . Van Eldik has been working with MW151 for years . In a2007 mental testing , Van Eldik and her co-worker found that MW151 was capable to hold off the pro - inflammatory cytokines while preserving the immune system ’s cubicle - hangout abilities . These tests were confine to a type of TBI called closed head harm . Van Eldik and her colleagues wanted to see if it would work in other types .
The researcher ran young test , this time looking at diffuse TBI ( injury spread across a wide area of the brain , as opposed to a small section ) . They used a technique called midline liquid percussion to induce diffuse head injuries in lab black eye , then dosed the mice with MW151 . Some of the mice were euthanized , and their encephalon , pedigree , and livers examined to settle if the drug was effective and safe . Other mice were given job - solving trial to see if the drug had protected their power to learn . The research worker found that even lowly DOS of MW151 subdue incitive proteins without interfering with cell repair .
" We were charmed to see that MW151 is effective in more than one model of TBI , " go generator Adam Bachstetter say in the press release . " MW151 appears to stifle down the damaging inflammatory responses without suppress the normal functions that the prison cell need to preserve health . "
MW151 seems like a skillful candidate so far , but to date , the researchers have only tested the drug on rodents . They hope to progress to clinical test in the next few years .
