Drug to reduce brain bleeding, identified stroke risk

London

Scientists have identified a drug already approved for the treatment of urea-related disorders that can reduce brain bleeding and the risk of stroke.

Brain bleeding, caused by a defect in a gene called collagen IV, can cause strokes.

Mutations in the IV collagen genes cause a genetic form of eye, kidney and vessel disease that affects the blood vessels of the brain and can cause brain bleeding even during childhood.

Researchers from the University of Manchester and the University of Edinburgh in the UK have studied mice with a similar defect in the collagen IV gene and developing the same disease as the patients.

Using sodium phenylbutyric acid, they were able to reduce brain bleeding, according to the study published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics.

However, the treatment did not treat diseases of the eyes or kidneys badociated with these genetic defects.

The researchers believe that for future treatments, patients with these mutations should be divided into groups based on their symptoms, medical history and the mechanism that causes the disease.

This approach to precision medicine will enable better, more targeted treatment for patients, they said.

Although these genetic forms of the disease are rare, the same gene has also been implicated in common forms of brain bleeding in the general population, potentially increasing the number of people likely to benefit from this work.

Further research is now needed to understand how these mutations cause disease in different tissues in order to develop strategies to treat all clinical symptoms, including ocular and renal diseases.

Specific treatments targeting cerebral hemorrhages are currently lacking, including common diseases such as hemorrhagic strokes, which account for 15% of adult strokes.

Researchers now hope that this new knowledge will provide new treatment opportunities for patients with these conditions.

"There is no treatment for diseases caused by collagen IV mutations and brain bleeding, this work has identified a potential treatment strategy in mice and is the first step to translating it into patients" said Tom Van Agtmael. , from the University of Glasgow.

"This will also help identify patients for whom this strategy may be effective and those for whom it is not recommended or may be contraindicative.This personalized approach to medicine will be important in developing future treatments. the most effective, "said Agtmael. – PTI