“ We knew that a specific blood protein , fibrin , was present in the brain after traumatic brain injury , but we didn ’ t know until now that it plays a causative role in brain damage after injury .”
COVER STORY
A New Therapeutic Target for Traumatic Brain Injury
“ We knew that a specific blood protein , fibrin , was present in the brain after traumatic brain injury , but we didn ’ t know until now that it plays a causative role in brain damage after injury .”
For the roughly 1.5 million Americans per year who survive a traumatic brain injury , health outcomes vary widely . Not only can these injuries lead to a loss of coordination , depression , impulsivity , and difficulty concentrating , but they come with an amplified risk for developing dementia in the future .
The glaring absence of treatments for such a widespread condition drove a team of scientists at Gladstone Institutes to uncover , on a molecular level , how traumatic brain injuries trigger neurodegeneration — and just as importantly , how to target that process to prevent long-term damage .
“ We set out to address the fundamental question of exactly what happens in the brain after injury to ignite the damaging process that destroys neurons ,” says Jae Kyu Ryu , PhD , a scientific program leader in the lab of Katerina Akassoglou , PhD at Gladstone Institutes .
Most traumatic brain injuries come as a result of falls , car crashes , or violent assaults , according to the Centers for Disease Control , but many also stem from sports accidents or
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