A Novel Neuro-Protective Peptide for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury

PROJECT SUMMARYTraumatic brain injuryTBIis a major clinical problemas it causes enormous personal suffering and has far reaching economic implicationsNo pharmacological agent is currently approved for specific treatment of acute TBIAivoCodeIncis developing a new approach to TBI therapy by using a novel peptideACwhich possesses a drug like activityACwhen given as repeated intravenous injections during the first days after TBI strongly reduces the size of a brain lesionMoreoverpreliminary results suggest that there is also some functional improvement after ACtreatment not seen in the controlsparticularly in motor functionsThusACis potentially useful in limiting the secondary damage in TBIIn this Phase I applicationwe propose to understand the processes that underlie this therapeutic effect and confirm the therapeutic and functional improvement in a more robust clinically relevant mouse model of severe TBINeuroimaging by MRI and a battery of established behavioral tests will be used to accomplish this goalThe potential for clinical translation of this approach is highbecause the peptide has already been shown to strongly accumulate in brain lesions and reduce the size of the lesion by several criteriaand because it also recognizes human brain injuryOur study addresses an underserved medical areawhere there is a pressing need for novel therapeutic advances PROJECT NARRATIVE We have identified a novel peptide that specifically recognizes brain injuries and can reduce the extent of the secondary injury in a mouse model of severe traumatic brain injuryIn this applicationwe propose to identify the mechanism of action for the peptide activity and assess its effect on functional recovery in mice with acute brain injuryThis study addresses an underserved medical areawhere there is a pressing need for new therapeutic advances