Discovery could lead to better recovery after stroke

UCLA researchers have identified a molecule that, after a stroke, signals brain tissue to form new connections to compensate for the damage and initiate repairs to the brain. The finding could eventually lead to a new treatment to promote brain repair and functional recovery in people who have suffered a stroke, which is the leading cause of serious long-term disability in adults. The five-year study, performed in an animal model, was the first to identify growth differentiation factor 10, or GDF10, a molecule that previously had no known role in the adult brain, said Dr. S. Thomas Carmichael, the study’s senior author and a professor and vice chair for research and programs in the UCLA department of neurology. “The brain has a limited capacity for recovery after stroke,” Carmichael said. “Most stroke patients get better after their initial stroke, but few fully recover. If the signals that lead to this limited recovery after stroke can be identified and turned into a treatment, then it might be possible to enhance brain repair after stroke.” The study, which appears Oct. 26 in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Neuroscience, also showed that GDF10 is released after a stroke in humans and in many different animals. During a previous study, Carmichael and his team determined which molecules become more prevalent in the brain during the recovery period after a stroke, and listed all of the genes that are up- or down-regulated. Heading into the new study, Carmichael sai...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news