A new stroke treatment gel regenerates neural cells and blood vessels in lab animals suffering from brain damage caused by strokes, according to scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in the United States.
“We tested this on laboratory mice to determine if it would repair the brain in a stroke model and lead to recovery,” claims Dr. S. Thomas Carmichael from the Neurology Department of the UCLA.
This trial indicates that a new brain tissue can regrow into the areas of the brain inactivated by a stroke and, accordingly, as the research highlights, this new stroke treatment gel might eventually represent a new way of improving the therapy for stroke in humans.
The brain has only reduced capabilities to recover after a stroke
In comparison to other organs in the human body, such as the liver which is well-known for its self-recovering abilities, the brain is not capable of rebuilding lost connections, neural cells, new tissue, or blood vessels.
When a stroke happens, it affects the region of the brain where it occurs. The tissues affected are dying and get absorbed by the organism leaving behind an empty brain area that is lacking of vessels, neurons, or axons.
A new stroke treatment gel regenerates neural cells and blood vessels in brain area affected by stroke
The researchers tried to find new methods on how to trick the healthy brain regions surrounding the empty areas caused by stroke. Therefore, they developed an injectable gel rich in molecules that trigger blood vessels growth and fight against inflammation.
After about 4 months of frequent administration of this gel, the lab animals on which it has been tested showed regenerated neural cells, blood vessels, and tissues in the brain regions priorly emptied by strokes.
Discovering a new stroke treatment gel that rebuilds neural cells and tissues in the brain areas damaged by stroke is of a great importance for the US, as more than 6 million Americans are forced to live with stroke symptoms for their whole lives.
