Therapeutic potential of sulforaphane in protection against blood-brain barrier breakdown and inflammation in experimental stroke (Mr Keith Farrell-Dillon)
Stroke is one of the most common causes of death and disability in the world. Currently only one drug, called recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator, or rt-PA, is approved to treat it. Professor Giovanni Mann from the King’s College London BHF Centre of Research Excellence has been studying a molecule called sulforaphane to find out if it could be used to treat stroke. Sulforaphane, which is found in broccoli, works by boosting a molecule called Nrf2, which protects the cell from damage by switching on antioxidant genes that help protect against damaging molecules called free radicals. In mice, sulforaphane can protect the blood vessels in the brain from damage. When given to mice before a stroke, Professor Mann and the team have also found sulforaphane makes the blood-brain barrier, which is essential for stopping potentially harmful chemicals reaching the brain, less permeable The BHF has awarded a BHF PhD studentship grant to Professor Mann to train a student to study how sulforaphane boosts naturally occurring Nrf2, how it affects the blood-brain barrier, and exactly when sulforaphane should be given. This research may reveal a new way to prevent or treat stroke, which could help people in the future.
Project details
| Grant amount | £131,763 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Fellowships |
| Application type | PhD Studentship |
| Start Date | 06 February 2015 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | FS/15/6/31298 |
| Status | In Progress |
