Abstract #1470
Post-ischaemic gene therapy for stroke: an MRI study.
Aron Badin R, Lythgoe M, King M, Latchman D, Gadian D
Institute of Child Health, University College London, Institute of Child Health, University College London
In spite of the many experimental studies on stroke, the development of effective therapies has been disappointing. Moreover, the increasing number of therapies attempting repair and regeneration has enhanced the need for investigation of functional outcome. This study addresses both these issues by evaluating the effects of heat shock protein treatment on stroke via longitudinal non-invasive MRI measurements of lesion size and via long term sensorimotor testing. Viral gene therapy with two proteins was attempted early after stroke induction. Results indicate that post-ischaemic overexpression of one of the proteins significantly reduces lesion size and affects behavioural recovery in a rat model of transient ischaemia.
