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Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have reported the results ofgroundbreaking research into the prevention of cerebral oedema orswelling of the brain, a major cause of death in people who havesustained a traumatic injury to the brain, out of hospital cardiacarrest or stroke . The research, which is published this week in the internationaljournal, Nature Communications , uses a radically new patented technology, developed in Irelandand termed, 'Neuronal Barrier Modulation' which has been shown inan animal model simulating human brain swelling, to be highlyeffective in reducing the dangerous effects of this condition,while improving cognitive outcome. The research was sponsored bythe US Department of Defense and Enterprise Ireland. The researchers have devised a method of safely manipulating theblood vessels in the brain to allow for periodic opening of tightjunction channels between cells lining the vessels. A simplemedication can be injected into a peripheral vein, rendering theblood vessels in the brain marginally and reversibly permeable totiny molecules and this procedure allows the fluid in the brain,largely comprising water, to efficiently drain back into the blood. "Unfortunately, there has been little change in treatment of acutebrain swelling over the past 80 years and this is a major cause ofmortality in traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest," says SeniorAuthor of the Nature Communications paper, Dr. Matthew Campbell, of the Ocular Genetics Unit atTrinity College Dublin. "We developed the technique initially fortreatment of neuronal edema in cases where injury has occurred to the visual cortex, theregion of the brain involved in vision, in view of our Unit'sprofile in vision research, however, the same method can be used inalleviating edema in all parts of the brain," says Dr. Campbell. In Europe alone, brain injuries cause over 66,000 deaths whilealmost 1.6 million people are admitted to hospital each year.Similar numbers are affected by stroke and cardiac arrest. In fact,more people suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year thanthe numbers diagnosed with breast, lung, prostate, brain, and colon cancer combined. "The medication is based on the use of RNA Interference, ademanding technology which has had a bumpy ride within thepharmaceuticals industry in recent years, and I am delighted that ahighly effective and simply deployable therapeutic strategy hasemerged based on this technology. There is now a clear path toclinical deployment," says Professor Pete Humphries, Director ofthe Ocular Genetics Unit at Trinity College Dublin, where the workwas carried out. "Malignant brain swelling as a consequence of cardiac arrest, headinjury, stroke, and brain tumours is the single most common factorleading to death in Western society and plays a major role inworsening the outcome of those who survive. Given how common theseconditions are, anything that could significantly reduce the effectof brain swelling is likely to have a profound impact on morbidityand mortality and will have reverberations though the public healthsystem," continued co-author, neurologist, Dr Colin Doherty, MD, StJames's Hospital, Dublin. The technology the researchers have reported is planned to enterPhase I clinical trials both here, with neurologist Dr ColinDoherty and in the US along with the team's collaborator,neurosurgeon Professor Gerald Grant, at Duke University and will bedeveloped by the recently established Irish Company, AvenaTherapeutics Ltd. Veteran life-science investor and ExecutiveChairman of the Company, Jeremy L. Curnock Cook says: "This sort ofthing doesn't happen too often and we have now been presented witha remarkable and exciting opportunity thanks to the Trinityresearchers and their supporters both here and in the US". Additional References Citations. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as GPS Car Tracking System Manufacturer , China HD 1080p Car DVR for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits GPS Car Tracking System.
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