Washington — New research released today demonstrates the brain's remarkable capacity to repair itself. The animal studies, which propose ways to prevent or limit damage after blood and oxygen deprivation and blood clots, were presented at Neuroscience 2011, the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
Stroke is the number one cause of long-term disability and the third leading cause of death in the developed world. Limiting the damage caused by stroke would improve patient prognosis.
Today's new findings report:
Other recent findings discussed show that:
· A human study identifies that a protein called AXIN2 is affected by white matter injuries in infants. Further research showed that mice given a drug preventing AXIN2 destruction repaired myelin faster than other mice, suggesting AXIN2 may be an important therapeutic target (David Rowitch, MD, PhD, see attached speaker summary).
"The brain is remarkably robust," said press conference moderator Mark Paul Goldberg, MD, a neurologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and an expert in brain injury. "Many of the brain's systems have mechanisms that allow it to protect or repair itself. With the help of further research we can better understand these mechanisms and find new applications for treating brain injuries."
This research was supported by national funding agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, as well as private and philanthropic organizations.