Does a molecule called pentraxin-3 reduce brain inflammation after a stroke?

The role of the acute phase protein pentraxin-3 in vascular inflammation and angiogenesis after cerebrovascular disease    

During a stroke the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, causing brain cells to become damaged or die. Inflammation – activation of the immune system - is an important defence mechanism that the body uses during injury or infection. But following a stroke, inflammation in the brain is damaging. We need to find new ways to stop this inflammation, and therefore reduce the subsequent damage. Dr Emmanuel Pinteaux and his team at the University of Manchester have found that a molecule called interleukin-1 (or IL-1) is produced by brain cells during a stroke, inducing inflammation but also killing other brain cells. By contrast, they have also found that IL-1 actually repairs the brain in the weeks or months after stroke, by producing a chemical called pentraxin-3 that helps to repair brain blood vessels and may reduce inflammation. Dr Pinteaux has been awarded a PhD studentship to train a student in scientific techniques and to investigate if pentraxin-3 could be used to protect people who have a stroke. The student will investigate if and how pentraxin-3 can regulate inflammation in the brain, and if it can help to restore blood supply to the brain after stroke, which could help to recover brain function. This research may reveal a new way to protect people who have had a stroke from further damage using drugs. This could significantly improve the quality of life for people who have a stroke.