Traumatic brain injuries have toxic effects that last weeks after initial impact − an antioxidant material reduces this damage in mice

Painful brain injury It is a major cause Death and impotence In the world. The shock of the explicit strength of the brain is often a bad fall or a traffic accident, the death More than 61,000 Americans every year. More than 80,000 will develop some long -term disability.

While a lot of physical brain damage occurs immediately – it is called the initial stage of infection – it can result from additional brain damage to the destructive chemical processes that arise in the body’s minutes to days to weeks after the initial effect. Unlike the basic stage of the injury, this Secondary stage It is likely to be prevented by targeting their damage molecules.

I Material Science EngineerMy colleagues and my colleagues are working to design treatments to neutralize the damage of the high -shock brain infection and reduce nervous degeneration. We designed a New material This can Advanced and neutralizing brain addiction molecules In mice, improve their cognitive recovery and provide a possible new treatment for people.

The repercussions of biochemistry

The basic stage of painful brain injury can Harm damage and even the destruction of the blood barrier in the brain A facade that protects the brain by reducing what it can enter.

The disruption of this barrier leads to the destruction of neurons or the immune system to release some chemicals that lead to destructive biochemical processes. One operation is called E toxicity of excitement It occurs when many calcium ions are allowed in neurons, which stimulates enzymes that increase and damage the DNA cells, causing death. Another process, NeuropathyCell activation results It is called microglia Which can lead to inflammation in the damaged areas of the brain.

These high school operations also produce harmful molecules called Types of interactive oxygen. These molecules, which include free radicals, chemically adjustment and mutilation of essential proteins in cells, making them useless. They can also break the DNA threads, which leads to possible genetic mutations.

If you leave without deterrence, harm from this Oxidative stress It can have devastating consequences for recovery and long -term nervous recognition. Researchers have linked biochemical changes and secondary products caused Alzheimer’sand Parkinson and AlsAmong other things.

However, vehicles It is called antioxidants This oxidative stress can be targeted and improves nervous recovery in the long run by chemically interacting with interactive oxygen types in a way that can neutralize its harmful properties.

Find the perfect antioxidants

I and my team studied whether an antioxidant is called a Thuil It can help treat painful brain injury.

Thuilian groups are chemical compounds that contain sulfur atom associated with hydrogen seed. Sulfur atoms are much larger than hydrogen atoms, which means that the sulfur atom in theosol has strong clouds on a single hydrogen atom. This weakens the link between hydrogen and its electrode, allowing hydrogen Easily abandoned its electron To other atoms.

As a result, themels Easily interact With many different interactive oxygen types, including those that harm the DNA. We have chosen Theols not only for its anti -oxidant properties, but also for its ability to link and neutralize the other molecules of Islam to the brain called Fat products. These neurological toxic compounds are formed as secondary products when the types of interactive oxygen are damaged in the body.

To get these thuille in the body, we have combined it into materials It is called polymers. These are long chains of organic molecules made of individual units called monomeria. To obtain monomeria to connect together, the only electron – or free radicals – begins a link with a monomer, which leads to a chain interaction. Think about this process, such as hitting a series of domino: pushing your hand (free radicals in this case) hit the domaino (monomer), and then knocks on the rest of the domino to form the (polymer) line.

Since the thuille can prevent this polymerization process, we have had to make a monomer with the so -called Group protection It can be removed chemically after the polymery to become our thunder. since A-Lipoic acidA common supplement found in pharmacies, which contains a group of thuil protection, we used to make our monomer.

Then we made a series of these monomers raftA governed process by which polymers can be designated to leave the body through urine. To do this, a common water -soluble monomer can be added to the chain, allowing polymer to dissolve in the bloodstream.

Finally, we dealt with polymers to remove the protection set, and to produce thunder polymers ready for more tests.

TBI test

Next, we tested how quality of thuilian polymers that neutralize interactive oxygen types.

First, we used a technique called The visible spectrum of UV raysWhich illuminates a laser in a cell sample that contains both polymer and brain particles. If there are interactive oxygen types present in the sample, the light will be absorbed to a minimum. But if our polymer neutralizes these compounds, the light will be significantly absorbed. Through these studies, we found that polymers are our biols Receiving interactive oxygen types Like hydrogen peroxide by up to 50 %, and other neurotransmitters Like acruline By up to 100 %, thus protecting neurons from damage.

We conducted additional tests by exposing fluorescent proteins to free radicals, and we found that the proteins that were not treated with our thick thicops were destroyed. Proteins treated Fluorent is stillThis indicates that we have the neutralization of free radicals and protein protection.

Finally, we have achieved thuelimal in mice infected with a brain injury. Brain tests showed that polymerna was not successfully concentrated in the damaged area of ​​the brain, but too I provided immediate protection From more injury. Our polymer theimer has been able to reduce the interactive oxygen types in the affected mice to only 3 % at the normal levels in uninfected mice. Unconscious mice with a 45 % painful brain injury compared to uninfected mice.

Future action on thuillers

The results we have found indicate that these thuilian polymers may be a possible treatment for the secondary stage of painful brain injury. Additional test can help determine whether this substance can reduce the risk of long -term disability.

We are currently developing a Cheap To merge the thuille with Small nanoparticles. This may help increase the number of thuille in the substance while improving its ability to rotate in the bloodstream for longer protection.

Many additional studies in animals are needed to confirm the effectiveness of our substances in treating painful brain injury. If our results continue positive, we aim to test the effectiveness of our materials in people through clinical trials. We hope these treatments can improve the long -term results of car accident victims, fall, or even brain -related injuries.

This article has been republished from ConversationAn independent, non -profit news organization brings you facts and trusted analysis to help you understand our complex world. Written by: Harun Breesterand Missouri University for Science and Technology

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Aaron Breceter received funding from the National Health Institutes.