“`html

Scientists from the University of Georgia discovered a novel medication that may enhance the brain’s capacity for self-repair following injury. This finding could result in considerable progress in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs.

At present, there are no FDA-sanctioned medications that specifically mend or avert brain damage after TBI, highlighting a significant shortfall in treatment. The substance, known as CMX-2043, might address this gap by amplifying the enzymes that are essential in clearing harmful substances post-injury.

“What truly captured our interest was how CMX-2043 appeared to activate the brain’s innate defenses,” stated Franklin West, primary author of the research and a professor in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. West is also a co-founder of the university’s Regenerative Bioscience Center. “We observed marked increases in enzymes. Essentially, they serve as the cleanup crew that mobilizes following an injury. This suggests that the therapy might genuinely be intervening where the brain most requires assistance.”

Enhancing the brain’s healing capability may improve chances of recovery post-TBI

Traumatic brain injuries trigger a cascade in the body characterized by inflammation and cellular and tissue damage.

Countless Americans endure a traumatic brain injury annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tens of thousands succumb to their injuries.

CMX-2043 is a trial medication derived from a natural antioxidant. This antioxidant is recognized for aiding cells in combating damage caused by an excess of free radicals in the body and insufficient antioxidants to eliminate them. Initially investigated for heart injuries, this compound is now under examination to minimize long-term brain harm after TBI.

Antioxidants associated with brain recovery

This study is the first instance where brain-specific enzyme activity has been documented in a pig model, implying a possible connection between antioxidant efficacy and the brain’s recuperative abilities.

“When the brain’s antioxidant defenses were more robust, the damage visible on MRI scans was less severe. That’s significant. It indicates that we might have the ability to aid the brain in healing more effectively by enhancing its repair mechanisms,” remarked Erin Kaiser, co-author of the research and an assistant professor in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“What astonished us was that CMX-2043 did not directly induce the alterations we noted in antioxidant enzyme levels,” reported lead author Hea Jin Park, an associate professor in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. “These changes were actually the body’s own response to the injury, but CMX-2043 might be reinforcing that intrinsic defense system.”

The preliminary data strongly suggests something hopeful: that enhancing the brain’s own cleanup squad could help sway the chances toward recovery after trauma.” —Franklin West, Regenerative Bioscience Center

What’s next? Looking into non-invasive methods like magnetic resonance spectroscopy to monitor this reaction in real-time and investigate how the medication could assist in human TBI therapy.

West and Kaiser are actively collaborating on a TBI treatment with Steven Stice, head of the Regenerative Bioscience Center, and Jarrod Call, a pharmacology professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“The initial findings strongly suggest something hopeful: that enhancing the brain’s own cleanup crew could help sway the odds toward recovery after trauma,” West stated.

The post New compound may help the brain heal itself after injury appeared first on UGA Today.

“`