Oxygen Deprived Brains Repaired and Saved

Oxygen Deprived Brains Repaired and Saved.

Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute Scientists have found special proteins that help protect the brain after it has been damaged by lack of oxygen, which take place in situations such as stroke, near-drowning and traumatic brain injury. Dr. Nicole Jones and her team of scientists discovered that during oxygen deficiency, or 'hypoxia', the proteins (HIF1б and PHD2) increase. These proteins control processes like the production of red blood cells, new blood vessels, and the flow of glucose to the brain. The proteins help prevent further brain damage and they repair the damage caused as a result of the initial injury. This discovery takes other scientists one step closer to developing medication and treatment for brain damage related to hypoxia.

Dr. Jones had discovered this by looking at how the body tries to protect itself. She also looked at how the brain acts in response when it is faced with mild, non-damaging hypoxia.

Dr. Jones said, "I found that mild, non-damaging hypoxia actually protected the brain against a subsequent injury by activating certain proteins,"

In a test, a small dose of hypoxia was given to experimental rats followed by a major stroke, as opposed to a rat experiencing just a stroke without the hypoxia beforehand. The outcome of this was that the rat that had hypoxia had less brain damage from the stroke than the rat that experience only the stroke.

Dr. Jones and her team is now testing drug candidates, and attempting to create a drug that would activate these proteins in the brain. Although further research is required, Dr. Jones and her team are confident that their research will lead to effective medication that will help people experiencing hypoxia, and as well as to improve conditions from hypoxic induced brain damage.