Reductions in Amount of Stroke Caused Brain Damage Evident Even When Natural Protein Is Administered Half A Day after Initial Damage
Research conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine showed that when mice were given alpha-B-crystalline, a natural protein, this resulted in a reduction in the size of brain lesions occurring as a result of strokes. The results were consistent even when the protein was administered up to 12 hours following the lesions. The results of this study where published via the internet on the 26th of July. The findings of this study are very significant because they show that it may be possible to extend the time frame in which stroke caused brain damage can be remedied.
The protein works by causing a reduction in the rate at which the immune system functions, this is achieved by reductions in the amounts of molecules that may cause damage to the brain following the damage originating from the lack of oxygen received by the brain. Strokes are as a result of blood clotting within the brain; this interrupts the supply of blood to the brain. One in every 3 individuals that suffer from strokes perish prior to becoming 65 years old.
Within America, tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) is a drug which is fully approved for stroke treatment. This drug works by preventing the affected regions of the brain from receiving oxygenated blood. Nonetheless this drug is most effective when used during the four and a half hours following the initial stroke, and even then, patients will still need to be given brain scans to determine whether or not the stroke was caused by bleeding instead. If bleeding in the brain is the cause of the stroke then the administration of Tpa could result in further damage to the brain.
The protein Alpha-B-Crystalline is produced naturally by the human body; it is made within the heart constantly and is a significant protein that aids in the maintenance of the lens structure and form within the eye. This protein is also produced as a response to chemical stress within the body and is produced at times of vast variations in temperature and the severe lack of oxygen.
Through the observation of the way in which the above mentioned protein reacts under varied circumstances, Steinberg and his fellow colleagues came up with the idea that this protein may in fact aid in the reduction of damage to brain tissue resulting from strokes. To research this, Steinberg and his colleagues experimented on mice by inducing strokes in them and then administering the protein to the mice.