Neuroinflammatory signature of acute brain injury
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Identifying Cellular Neuroinflammation in Acute Brain Injury
IRAS ID
326545
Contact name
Adel Helmy
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects over 50 million people annually worldwide and is the leading cause of death in adults under the age of 40. Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), which accounts for ~5% of all strokes, is responsible for ~25% of all quality-adjusted life years lost due to stroke. In young people, there is increased survival following SAH, but with a higher burden of physical and neurological sequelae. To date, there are no medications to treat either of the pathologies. Research in animals suggests that drugs targeting the inflammatory response of the brain after injury may be effective in improving outcomes. However, these promising animal studies have thus far failed to translate into effective therapies for humans most likely due to differences in brain structure and biology between animals and humans.
In order to overcome this problem, it is paramount that we understand the inflammatory response of cells in the human brain. Our study will use tissue samples from patients with acute brain injury (TBI or SAH) undergoing surgery for clinical reasons and from a cohort of control patients who are undergoing neurosurgical procedures for reasons other than acute brain injury. The samples will then be analysed at single cell level to try and unpick the inflammatory processes in the acutely injured brain. This will serve to identify new targets for novel therapies or repurposing of existing therapeutic agents used in treating other conditions.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
23/WA/0274
Date of REC Opinion
7 Nov 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion