Inhibiting the Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury
There are countless causes of traumatic brain injuries, the most common being including motor vehicle accidents, falls and sports injuries. Patients very often recover but other serious conditions may develop in the days, weeks or even years following the initial injury. Recently it was brought to the forefront that a condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) can develop years after concussions received during sports such as football and boxing. These after effects of TBI can be depression and problems with thinking, memory, personality and motor skills.
Following a head injury, a progression of serious neurological effects can occur such as inflammation and the death of brain cells. The physical and cognitive symptoms can continue for years. In a new promising study, scientists reported in the journal ACS Nano, that the effects may potentially be reduced by neuron-targeting nanoparticles using an animal model of a brain injury.
The outlook for those with traumatic head injuries is now brighter, due to a new approach to treating the after-effects which involves the delivery of short stretches of ribonucleic acid (RNA) which will help to halt the cascade of damage. Delivering the RNA to the damaged part of the brain is challenging due to the presence of the blood brain barrier, which separates circulating blood from the fluid around the brain cells. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Sangeeta N. Bhatia and her colleagues attempted to rush therapeutic RNA to targeted brain cells immediately following an injury while the blood-brain barrier is still in a weakened state.
Lead by postdoctoral researcher Ester Kwon, the team engineered nanoparticles to target neurons by borrowing protein from a rabies virus. The particles were loaded with a strip of RNA designed to inhibit the production of a protein associated with neuronal cell death. The nanoparticles were given to mice intravenously within a day of receiving a TBI. The nanoparticles left the circulating blood and accumulated in the damaged tissue. Analysis also showed a reduction in the targeted protein of approximately 80 percent within the injured brain tissue.
Current Traumatic Brain Injury Prognosis
Although the potential of the new approach successfully slowing or stopping the progressive degeneration of brain function is promising, today's traumatic brain injuries can still produce neurological damage that can last a lifetime. These injuries when severe can cause problems with motor skills, speech, memory, vision, emotions, personality and more. The cost over a lifetime can be astronomical due to medical bills, rehabilitation, special need and lifelong loss of income. Anyone who receives a traumatic brain injury, or cares for someone who has, should contact a personal injury attorney for help.
A qualified attorney knows the true value of a traumatic brain injury when it comes to seeking compensation through the justice system. What might seem like a fair offer from an insurance company is rarely close to what the cost of the injury truly is over a lifetime. One who was injured through the negligence of another should not have to live their life dependent on public assistance. They should have what they are entitled to, which is a life that is happy and independent.
The personal injury lawyers at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA know that every TBI case is unique and they can accurately determine its true value. They also know how to recover that compensation for their clients. Do not let a lazy settlement lawyer handle your case. You need a tenacious fighter on your side. Call and make an appointment to speak to a skilled personal injury attorney today. There is no cost or obligation and all information is confidential. Call 727-451-6900 today. You pay nothing until we win.
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Source: Science Daily