Drug gives Hope for Breakthrough in Preventing Brain Damage from Strokes

The Human Brain

Strokes in the United States

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Strokes are the Fifth Cause of Death and Disability in the US, About 795,000 Americans suffer a stroke every year. Every 40 seconds in the United States a person suffers a stroke.

Drug QNZ-46 Can Protect Brain from Damage from a Stroke

A new study published March 12, 2018, in Nature Communications shows how the drug QNZ-46 can protect the brain from the excess glutamate that is released in the brain when a stroke hits. It is the glutamate that causes brain damage from a stroke when the blood supply is cut off in the brain from a blood clot like in an ischemic stroke. Until now there was no way to prevent this brain damage from happening and all a stroke victim could rely on was rehabilitation to try to recover lost motor and cognitive function. While more research is needed, so far there have been no signs of bad side effects from QNZ-46.

QNZ-46 Could be used to Prevent a Stroke

This study headed by Professor Robert Fern at the Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry (PUPSMD), raises the possibility that QNZ-46 could be given to people who have a potential for having a stroke, like people after a first stroke who could be given this to prevent a further stroke.

Stroke is Second Main Cause of Disability and Early Death in the UK

Stroke is the second leading cause of disability and early death in the UK. Professor Fern, part of the University’s Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine, explains the importance of the results of the study:

“Strokes are known to be caused by loss of blood to the brain, and there has been no way to treat the condition,” he said.

“As much as rehabilitation can be effective, there’s nothing you can do to heal the damage. This is why it has been necessary to look at how the problem is caused in the first place.

“Myelin damage results in severe functional deficit in the white matter of the brain, for example in ischemic — caused by lack of blood supply — stroke. By identifying how this happens, we have been able to show how QNZ-46 can be used to prevent the damage.

“There need to be further studies to fully understand how these findings can translate going forward, but to see that there are no negative side effects at this stage is a promising sign. By continuing further studies, we can come up with even better forms of the drug to help in stroke treatment.”

Conclusion

The study gives hope that the drug QNZ-46 could be used to prevent or decrease the amount of brain damage suffered from a stroke.