New treatment could reduce brain damage from stroke, study in mice shows

Cambridge scientists have developed and tested a new drug in mice that has the potential to reduce damage to the brain when blood flow is restored following a stroke.

As many as one in four people will have a stroke during their lifetime. This is when a blood clot prevents oxygen from reaching a part of the brain. The first few hours following a stroke are crucial – the blood clot needs to be removed quickly so that the oxygen supply to the brain can be restored; otherwise, the brain tissue begins to die.

Currently, the outcome for stroke patients receiving even the best available treatment, known as mechanical thrombectomy, is still poor,…