Scientist identify new drug to treat TBI
A team of scientists in Arkansas have discovered what causes fluid swelling of the brain following traumatic brain injury.
According to biomedical engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas pre-treating the cells with an existing, FDA-approved drug used for epilepsy and altitude sickness reduces the expression of a specific protein that causes swelling following a TBI or concussion.
Their findings were published in a recent issue of Nature’s Scientific Reports.
“Our study found that mild traumatic brain injury resulted in increased expression of a protein called aquaporin-4, which caused a massive cellular influx of fluid, leading to increased astrocyte cell volume and injury,” Kartik Balachandran, assistant professor of biomedical engineering said in an article posted to Medical News. “We then worked with a drug called Acetazolamide. Our results showed that Acetazolamide minimized cell swelling and injury, suggesting a therapeutic role for this drug in reducing the detrimental effects of concussions.”
Research was also conducted by Nasya Sturdivant, a biomedical-engineering doctoral candidate; Jeffrey Wolchok, assistant professor of biomedical engineering; and partners at the FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research in Jefferson, Arkansas.
“Mild traumatic brain injury, also known as a concussion, is a devastating condition that is commonly experienced in car accidents, full-contact sports and battlefield injuries,” the article reads. “One of the main factors that leads to the high death rate in patients who experience mild traumatic brain injury is the swelling or edema of astrocytes, the most abundant cell type in the brain.”
Brain swelling after a concussion has the potential to amplify the severity of the injury. A blow to the head can cause a more serious initial injury to the brain. A contusion is a bruise of the brain tissue involving bleeding and swelling in the brain while a skull fracture occurs when the bone of the skull breaks.
The researchers engineered a benchtop bioreactor to examine astrocyte cells. This is the device that helped them to see that mild traumatic brain injury led to an increased expression of aquaporin-4, which is the protein that causes a large cellular influx of fluid, which in turn leads to increased astrocyte cell volume.
“This study demonstrates the collaborative neuro-engineering efforts that are contributing to both diagnostic and therapeutic methods for addressing traumatic brain injury,” said Raj Rao, professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arkansas.
