Mar 13, 2018
Published first on ScienceDaily
Notoriously remembered as a major pharmaceutical scandal approximately 60 years ago, thalidomide caused severe birth defects since many pregnant women took the drug as a remedy for their morning sickness. In recent years, however, thalidomide and its derivatives have been widely used to treat hematologic malignancies such as multiple myeloma.
Further, evidence suggests that it also has a neuroprotective effect, reducing both oxidative stress and inflammatory response, but the exact molecular mechanisms of thalidomide on the brain were unknown.
To investigate, scientists at Waseda University and Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences studied thalidomide’s target protein, cereblon (CRBN), and its binding protein, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which plays an important role in maintaining intracellular energy homeostasis in the brain. Through their study, they revealed that thalidomide inhibits the activity of AMPK via CRBN under oxidative stress and suppresses nerve cell death. (more…)
Mar 2, 2018
Stroke clubs and groups provide essential long-term peer support to stroke survivors, carers, family and friends. They provide an opportunity for those who have been affected by stroke to rediscover previous skills, learn new skills, regain confidence, increase independence and socialise with other individuals who have had similar experiences.
Stroke Association has received funding for our Hand in Hand peer support programme. This is an ambitious, five-year project enabling us to scale our experience, expertise and knowledge of peer support for the benefit of local stroke communities.
As part of this programme, we would like to share some of our experience, expertise and knowledge of peer support with other SAFE members, and to hear about your experiences and insights in delivering peer support. We will hold a webinar on Monday 26th March 2018, 11am BST, 12pm CET (more…)
Feb 28, 2018
TENSION: A new international study funded by EU, hoping to extend the benefits of mechanical thrombectomy
A large new international study hoping to extend the benefits of mechanical thrombectomy has been launched. Thrombectomy is a treatment for certain types of acute ischaemic stroke that can use mechanical devices to drastically reduce the effects of an ongoing stroke. Very small devices are used to break and remove the clot from the blood vessel in the brain. This procedure is carried out by highly skilled neuro-radiologists and requires special hospital facilities. (more…)
Feb 26, 2018
Angels Initiative builds a global community of stroke centers and stroke ready hospitals, working each day to improve the quality of treatment for each patient with stroke.
Written by Prof. Dr Anita Arsovska and Dr Maja Bozhinovska-Smicheska
26.02.2018, Skopje, R. Macedonia– Association for a fight against stroke ,,Stroke” Macedonia in collaboration with University Clinic of Neurology organized a scientific meeting ,,Angels Initiative in Macedonia – next steps” on Friday, 23rd February. Meeting was attended by 50 medical specialists from all over Macedonia. (more…)
Feb 25, 2018
First published on ScienceDaily
Scientists have known for years that the brain liquefies after a stroke. If cut off from blood and oxygen for a long enough period, a portion of the brain will die, slowly morphing from a hard, rubbery substance into liquid goop.
Now, researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Tucson have discovered that this liquefied, dying brain tissue is toxic — and can slowly leak into the remaining healthy portion of the brain, potentially causing harm. The new findings may open the door for developing new treatments to ward off dementia after stroke; they are described in the April 2018 issue of Neurobiology of Disease. (more…)
Feb 25, 2018
First published on ScienceDaily
Brain scans from stroke patients are being downloaded by researchers around the world to test algorithms that can process MRI images
A USC-led team has now compiled, archived and shared one of the largest open-source data sets of brain scans from stroke patients via a study published Feb. 20 in Scientific Data, a Nature journal.
The data set, known as Anatomical Tracings of Lesion After Stroke (ATLAS), is now available for download; researchers around the world are already using the scans to develop and test algorithms that can automatically process MRI images from stroke patients. In the long run, scientists hope to identify biological markers that forecast which patients will respond to various rehabilitation therapies and personalize treatment plans accordingly. (more…)
