A new drug has cut brain damage by 60 per cent in mice when blood flow is restored after stroke, offering a potential way to improve recovery outcomes.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge tested an experimental treatment, acidified disodium malonate (aDSM), in combination with mechanical thrombectomy – a procedure that removes clots from the brain.
The drug reduced damage caused by ischaemia-reperfusion injury by up to 60 per cent in a mouse model.
Professor Thomas Krieg from the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge said: “Stroke is a devastating disease.
“Even for those who survive, there is a significant risk of damage to the brain that can lead to disabilities and a huge impact on an individual’s life.
“But in terms of treatment, once the stroke is happening, we have only limited options.”
The research team previously discovered that when oxygen supply is cut off, a chemical called succinate builds up in the brain.
When blood flow is restored, the succinate is rapidly oxidised, producing free radicals within minutes.
“All of this happens very rapidly, but if we can get malonate in quickly at the start of reperfusion, we can prevent this oxidation and burst of free radicals,” said Professor Mike Murphy from the Medical Research Council Mitochondrial Biology Unit.
“We discovered in our labs that we can get malonate into cells very quickly by lowering the pH a little, making it a bit more acidic, so that it can cross the blood-brain barrier better.
“If we inject it into the brain just as we’re ready to reperfuse, then we can potentially prevent further damage.”
The researchers administered aDSM directly into the brain alongside thrombectomy in mice.
This approach significantly reduced the amount of brain tissue damaged by stroke.
To advance development, the team has launched Camoxis Therapeutics, a spin-out company supported by Cambridge Enterprise.
They are now seeking seed funding to progress the treatment and begin early-stage clinical trials.
Professor Murphy added: “If it’s successful, this same drug could have much wider applications for other instances of ischaemia-reperfusion injuries, such as heart attack, resuscitation, organ transplantation and so on, which have similar underlying mechanisms.”
