Enhancing axon growth and functional recovery after cerebral ischemia (stroke)

异常的血液流向大脑的一侧（由于血栓或出血）被称为中风，通常会导致身体另一侧的残疾。治疗需要在受伤后数小时内进行，因为通常会延迟入院和诊断。中风主要影响老年人，但很少有研究在老年模型系统中检查中风的潜在治疗方法。令人鼓舞的是，最近的研究表明，即使是年老的大脑和脊髓也有一定的适应中风的能力。然而，没有中风的恢复疗法。 我们之前已经证明，一种名为软骨素酶ABC的药物可以促进受损神经纤维的生长，并可以恢复成年大鼠脊髓损伤后丧失的功能。迄今为止，软骨素酶ABC促进中风后神经和功能恢复的潜力尚未得到研究。我们建议在这里调查。我们的研究旨在通过鼓励大脑和脊髓的备用（未受伤）神经纤维的补偿来克服中风引起的肢体功能障碍。为了模拟老年人的中风，将在麻醉的老年大鼠的脑中诱导小中风。将给予术后镇痛。一周后开始联合治疗。为了促进大脑另一侧（未受伤）神经纤维的生长，将软骨素酶ABC注射到大脑和脊髓的区域。将大鼠圈养在已知可促进受伤前爪康复的环境中。其他大鼠将用作对照，以确定联合治疗各部分的效果。每周对大鼠进行一次测试，以评估接受治疗的大鼠的恢复情况。五周后，将进行神经束追踪，以确定未受伤的神经纤维是否对治疗有反应。两周后，对大鼠进行终末麻醉，以提供用于分析的组织。我们将寻找证据，证明联合治疗诱导神经纤维连接的变化，这可能解释观察到的任何行为改善。结果将在任何出版禁令解除后通过我们的公共关系部门批准的新闻稿向公众传达。我们还将联系全国性报纸和包括《新科学家》在内的杂志的科学记者。我还参加了市中心学校的外展活动，讨论中风的风险因素，涉及负责任地使用动物和中风的潜在疗法的工作。

Abnormal blood flow to one side of the brain (due to clots or bleeds) is called stroke and often causes disability in the opposite side of the body. Therapies need to work when given many hours after injury, because there is typically a delay to admission to hospital and diagnosis. Stroke primarily affects elderly people, yet few studies have examined potential therapies for stroke in an aged model system. Encouragingly, recent research shows that even aged brains and spinal cords have some capacity for adapting to stroke. There are, however, no restorative therapies for stroke. We have previously shown that a drug, called chondroitinase ABC, can boost growth of injured nerve fibers and can restore function lost after spinal cord injury in adult rats. To date, the potential of chondroitinase ABC for promoting neural and functional recovery after stroke has not been examined. We propose investigating this here. Our study aims to overcome stroke-induced disabilities in limb function by encouraging compensation by spared (uninjured) nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. To simulate stroke in elderly people, a small stroke will be induced in the brain of anaesthetised elderly rats. Post-operative analgesia will be given. Combination therapy will be initiated one week later. To boost growth of nerve fibers from the opposite (uninjured) side of the brain, chondroitinase ABC will be injected into regions in the brain and spinal cord. Rats will be housed in environments known to encourage rehabilitation of the injured forepaw. Other rats will be used as controls in order to determine the effect of each part of the combination therapy. Rats will be tested weekly to assess recovery in rats treated with the therapies. After five weeks, tract tracing will be performed to determine whether uninjured nerve fibres have responded to treatment. Two weeks later, rats will be terminally anaesthetised to provide tissue for analysis. We will seek evidence that the combination therapy induced changes in nerve fiber connections that might explain any behavioural improvements observed. Results will be communicated to the general public after any publication embargo is lifted via press release sanctioned by our public relations department. We will also contact science reporters at national newspapers as well as magazines including New Scientist. I also participate in outreach to inner city schools, discussing risk factors for stroke, work involving responsible use of animals and potential therapies for stroke.