IMPROVING STROKE OUTCOMES: NEW TARGETS AND THERAPIES

以前，我们建立了一个独特的合作研究人员从基础和临床科学。这种“垂直整合”模式的主要目的是开发新的治疗方法来改善中风的结果。我们开发了一个系统来识别“现成的”化合物，这些化合物可以在中风发作后保护大脑。这涉及到以一种独特的方式进行数据同化（元分析），这种方法已经引起了国际上的关注。我们也正在完成一项使用凝块溶解剂tPA的重要临床试验，以延长药物有效时间，而不是目前使用的三小时。在我们项目的下一阶段，我们计划扩展基础科学成分，以识别脑细胞的部分（轴突和树突），这可能会产生有关保护大脑的新药的重要信息。我们将使用我们新颖的汇总数据技术在动物模型中测试药物，这些动物模型比过去使用的药物更适合人类中风模式。在临床研究中，我们将遵循我们的主题，即使用复杂的PET和MRI成像技术确定新的治疗靶点，这些靶点既适用于轻微中风后中风复发风险很大的患者，也适用于脑内出血引起的中风患者。这些研究将提供有关复发性和恶化性中风的预测因素的信息，这些信息可能会被新的治疗方法所改变。确定新疗法的最后阶段是III期临床试验。我们将完成其中一项研究，确定最合适的药物来预防一种主要的新中风亚型的进一步中风。在项目结束时，我们将开始第三阶段的药物研究，根据我们的动物实验，我们选择了最有可能保护大脑的药物。这种独特的合作研究模式的主要好处是有效地确定新的治疗方法，以减轻中风的负担，目前中风是全球第二大最常见的死亡原因。

Previously we established a unique collaboration of researchers from the basic and clinical sciences.. The main aim of this ' vertically integrated ' model was to develop new therapies to improve stroke outcomes. We developed a system to identify ' off-the-shelf ' compounds which protect the brain after stroke onset. This involves data assimilation (meta-analysis) in a unique way, an approach which has attracted attention internationally. We are also completing an important clinical trial using the clot dissolving agent tPA to extend the time during which the drug may be effective beyond the three-hours currently used. In the next phase of our program we plan to expand the basic science component to identify parts of brain cells (axons and dendrites) which may yield important information about new drugs to protect the brain. We will use our novel summary data technique to test drugs in animal models more appropriate to the human stroke paradigm than have been used in the past In clinical studies we will follow our theme of identifying new targets for therapy using sophisticated PET and MRI imaging techniques, both in patients who are at great risk of stroke recurrence after a minor warning stroke and those with stroke caused by bleeding within the brain. These studies will provide information about predictors of recurrent and worsening stroke which may be modified by new therapies. The final stage in identifying new therapies is the Phase III clinical trial. We will complete one of these in which the most appropriate drug preventing further strokes in a major new stroke subtype will be identified. Toward the end of the program, we will commence phase 3 studies of drugs we have selected as being most likely to protect the brain based on our animal experiments. The main benefit of this unique collaborative research model is to efficiently identify new therapies to reduce the burden of stroke, currently the second most common cause of death globally.