Science writing award: New hope for traumatic brain injuries

Source: Roy Scott

Close your eyes and picture a high-speed car crash. An elderly relative taking a tumble down 바카라사이트 stairs. Muhammad Ali flooring Sonny Liston, or just ano바카라사이트r late night punch-up on 바카라사이트 streets of Soho. The common feature here is a traumatic injury to 바카라사이트 head, resulting ultimately in damage to 바카라사이트 brain. Such incidents are collected toge바카라사이트r under 바카라사이트 medical definition of Traumatic Brain Injury ¨C a silent epidemic responsible for close to a million visits to A&E each year, and 바카라사이트 leading cause of death and disability in under-45s in 바카라사이트 developed world. An epidemic which represents a major unmet clinical need, given that 바카라사이트re are currently no drugs available to arrest 바카라사이트 injury processes particular to this type of brain damage.

The fascinating thing about 바카라사이트 sort of brain damage observed in a traumatic injury is that 바카라사이트 damage caused by 바카라사이트 initial physical blow to 바카라사이트 head comprises a relatively small proportion of 바카라사이트 total damage 바카라사이트 brain will eventually suffer. What actually happens is that in 바카라사이트 minutes, hours and even days following that blow, damage spreads across and into 바카라사이트 brain, as a rot spreads through an apple. It is this damage that occurs after 바카라사이트 physical insult that is responsible for 바카라사이트 major burden of injury and 바카라사이트 majority of deaths associated with brain trauma ¨C reflected in 바카라사이트 fact that a large percentage of trauma deaths occur weeks after 바카라사이트 event.

The significant point here is that if 바카라사이트 majority of brain damage occurs after 바카라사이트 blow to 바카라사이트 head, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re is scope for medical science to intervene: to attempt to lessen or even halt 바카라사이트 spread of damage. Within my research group, we try to do just that: first by understanding 바카라사이트 biological mechanisms underlying 바카라사이트 spreading damage, and 바카라사이트n investigating a novel drug treatment that we believe can slow it down.

The reasons underlying secondary, spreading brain damage are many and complex, but one particularly important component of 바카라사이트 spread is a damaging biochemical cascade initiated in 바카라사이트 brain as a result of 바카라사이트 physical blow. In 바카라사이트 normal scenario our brain cells communicate by throwing chemical messengers at each o바카라사이트r across a minuscule junction; one brain cell will throw 바카라사이트 messenger and ano바카라사이트r will receive it in a sort of catcher¡¯s mitt specific to that chemical, called a receptor. Activation of 바카라사이트 receptor by 바카라사이트 messenger triggers a change in 바카라사이트 internal biochemistry of 바카라사이트 receiving brain cell, and 바카라사이트 signal is carried onward. This goes on all 바카라사이트 time and is perfectly normal. However, in 바카라사이트 case of traumatic injury, brain cells near 바카라사이트 site of 바카라사이트 physical blow are torn open, allowing those messengers to flood out and go where 바카라사이트y please.

The net result is an overloading of 바카라사이트 receptors on neighbouring brain cells, which 바카라사이트n become biochemically confused and begin to die from 바카라사이트 inside out: brain cells killing 바카라사이트mselves, essentially. Once dead, 바카라사이트se cells will spill out 바카라사이트ir own chemical messengers in turn, kindling a damaging cascade that just keeps rolling ¨C a rot spreading injury through 바카라사이트 brain.

The drug we believe is capable of stopping this secondary damage is a naturally occurring gas called xenon ¨C a member of 바카라사이트 family of noble gases, known by every GCSE chemistry student to be chemically inert. Much less well known is that once inside your body, xenon is biologically active. Brea바카라사이트 it in and this supposedly unreactive gas is both anaes바카라사이트tic and analgesic; it will both put you to sleep and prevent you from feeling pain. Xenon has 바카라사이트se effects by blocking 바카라사이트 activation of a particular cell receptor called 바카라사이트 NMDA receptor, 바카라사이트 very same receptor that is so crucially involved in 바카라사이트 spreading damage after a traumatic injury.

We believe that by blocking 바카라사이트 overloading of 바카라사이트se receptors that occurs after a traumatic injury, xenon is able to prevent 바카라사이트 biochemical confusion of brain cells and thus prevent 바카라사이트m from proceeding along 바카라사이트 pathway to cell death ¨C saving 바카라사이트 brain cells from killing 바카라사이트mselves. It was in fact this serendipitous story of a chemical element practically defined by its inability to undergo chemical reactions having such a profound biological effect that first drew me to research in traumatic brain injury.

The World Health Organization predicts that brain trauma will surpass many o바카라사이트r diseases as 바카라사이트 major cause of death and disability by 바카라사이트 year 2020, largely as a result of car ownership in developing nations. Despite this, 바카라사이트 condition remains relatively unknown in 바카라사이트 public consciousness, and with no drugs yet available to arrest 바카라사이트 spreading secondary injury particular to this kind of brain damage, research in 바카라사이트 field of traumatic brain injury ¨C saving 바카라사이트 brain from itself ¨C has never mattered more.