Introduction to Stroke and Its Effects
Strokes can cause debilitating damage to the brain, leading to long-term disability and even death. With limited treatment options available, two UConn researchers, Rajkumar Verma and Raman Bahal, have been working on an experimental drug that aims to protect the brain and improve recovery after a cerebral vascular accident, also known as a brain attack.
Their research focuses on a small regulatory biological molecule called microRNA, which becomes abnormally elevated after a stroke and promotes inflammation, contributes to tissue loss, and causes a decline in neurological function.
Understanding MicroRNAs and Their Role in Stroke
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that play important roles in regulating gene expression, according to the National Institutes of Health. The researchers have developed a next-generation inhibitor of this microRNA to block its harmful effects. This approach simultaneously suppresses multiple damaging processes by targeting several proteins, reducing brain injury, inflammation, and tissue damage while enhancing protective factors that support repair.
Current Therapies for Stroke and Their Limitations
Current therapies for stroke are limited and include clot-busting drugs and surgical clot removal, which are only available to 10 to 15% of patients. Verma noted that no FDA-approved drugs exist to protect the brain or aid recovery once damage begins. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that stroke remains one of the leading causes of long-term disability and death, with about 800,000 people in the United States experiencing a stroke each year and approximately 160,000 losing their lives.
Leading Causes of Stroke and the Importance of New Treatments
Leading causes of stroke include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and diabetes, according to the CDC. Verma said the experimental drug will help reduce the secondary damage that occurs after the primary injury that takes place during the first couple hours of a stroke. Bahal emphasized that the research is critical because it explores new chemistries and drug delivery technologies to counterattack this kind of devastating disease. The use of single proteins to target acute damage by stroke was not effective because stroke affects a large number of proteins that may be contributing to brain damage.
The Experimental Drug and Its Potential
The researchers have found that a single dose of their next-generation miRNA inhibitor administered after a stroke not only decreased brain damage but also markedly enhanced movement, memory, and long-term recovery, with protective effects lasting up to 15 days in a mouse stroke model. Compared to earlier drug candidates, their miRNA inhibitor is more potent, highly specific, longer-lasting, and safer. The researchers have filed a patent for their miRNA inhibitor and are in communication with pharmaceutical companies and other partners to develop it into an investigational new drug candidate for a future clinical trial. They have also received a $2.6 million grant for five years from the National Institutes of Health.
Conclusion
The development of this experimental drug by Verma and Bahal offers new hope for stroke patients. By targeting microRNAs, this approach has the potential to reduce brain injury, inflammation, and tissue damage while enhancing protective factors that support repair. With further research and development, this treatment could become a crucial tool in the fight against stroke and its debilitating effects.
FAQs
Q: What is the current treatment for stroke, and what are its limitations?
A: Current therapies for stroke include clot-busting drugs and surgical clot removal, which are only available to 10 to 15% of patients. There are no FDA-approved drugs to protect the brain or aid recovery once damage begins.
Q: What is microRNA, and how does it relate to stroke?
A: MicroRNA is a small regulatory biological molecule that becomes abnormally elevated after a stroke, promoting inflammation, contributing to tissue loss, and causing a decline in neurological function.
Q: How does the experimental drug work, and what are its potential benefits?
A: The experimental drug is a next-generation inhibitor of microRNA that blocks its harmful effects, reducing brain injury, inflammation, and tissue damage while enhancing protective factors that support repair. It has shown promise in decreasing brain damage and enhancing movement, memory, and long-term recovery in a mouse stroke model.
Q: What is the next step in the development of this experimental drug?
A: The researchers have filed a patent for their miRNA inhibitor and are in communication with pharmaceutical companies and other partners to develop it into an investigational new drug candidate for a future clinical trial. They have also received a $2.6 million grant for five years from the National Institutes of Health.
