New Discovery Might Be Able to Prevent Brain Damage From Strokes

The University of Queensland researcher Glenn King discovered a compound that can protect brain cells even when injected hours after a stroke has occurred.  He was sequencing the DNA of venom from the funnel web spider when he found this connection. 

When a stroke occurs, blood can’t reach the brain, which limits the oxygen it receives.  Then, the brain burns glucose, which produces acid that can kill brain cells.  The good news is that this a protein in this venom blocks acid-sensing channels in the brain. Rats that received this protein 2 hours after the stroke had 80% less brain damage.  Even when the rats received the protein 8 hours after the stroke, it still reduce brain damage by 65%.

Naturally more studies need to be conducted, but it sure is reassuring to know that scientists are looking for ways to reduce the devastating stroke damage that affects 15 million people worldwide each year.

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