Cases of potentially deadly brain damage as a result of stroke could be reduced after new research identified a pathway in the brain that causes swelling, and which responds to an innovative treatment.
Research led by the University of Exeter reveals how a malfunction in the way key proteins are transported within the brain after a stroke can lead to swelling, which can cause severe damage.
The international team has developed a compound that effectively treats this pathway in laboratory tests, paving the way for a new treatment.
This could potentially provide an alternative, more effective way to treat brain swelling, for which currently there are limited treatment options. Stroke is typically caused by a blood clot in the brain and can lead to death within minutes. In the UK alone, more than 100,000 strokes occur each year, averaging one every five minutes. Currently, two-thirds of stroke survivors leave hospital with a disability, according to the Stroke Association.
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