“The good effect remains,” Pekna says, “and that is important. The study also shows that the positive outcomes in experimental animals persist long after the treatment is discontinued. If the molecule is given too soon, it might increase the amount of inflammatory cells in the brain. Timing is also of importance when it comes to the C3a peptide treatment.

Since the molecule was administered in nasal drops, the treatment could be given at home by relatives or the patients themselves,” Pekny says. “There is great potential for substantial improvement even at a later stage. The researchers emphasize that stroke treatment is not solely a matter of prompt interventions in the first hours after symptom onset. In a conceivable future, most stroke patients could thus be included – even those who do not reach hospital in time or who, for other reasons, are not helped by clot-dissolving drugs (thrombolysis) or mechanical clot removal (thrombectomy).ĭespite advances in emergency care, the most common form of stroke, ischemic stroke, is still a major cause of long-term disability, including impaired speech and mobility. One crucial point is that the treatment was not initiated until seven days after the stroke. “We see the same positive effects in experiments done in Sweden and in Germany, which makes the results much more robust,” says Marcela Pekna, Professor of Neuroimmunology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, who led the study. These results confirm and extend a previous study at the University of Gothenburg and the current study design further strengthens their credibility. The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers at the Czech Academy of Sciences.īy giving mice a molecule, the complement peptide C3a, in nasal drops, the scientists saw them recover motor function faster and better after stroke compared with mice that had received nasal drops with placebo. The work now published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation is a multicenter study in which researchers at the Universities of Gothenburg and Cologne implemented parallel testing of an experimental stroke treatment on mice.

This is the goal of an experimental method that has been tested with great success in an international study headed by the University of Gothenburg. An effective treatment for most stroke victims – even those who, today, are unable to gain access to care within the first few hours.

Stroke after effects