Title: Paul Kasher - Identification and modulation of disease mechanisms in intracerebral haemorrhage
Funder: Stroke Association

Abstract: Intracerebral haemorrhage is a type of stroke, which is caused by bleeding in the brain, ultimately leading to brain damage, disability and often death. We currently know very little about the biological changes that occur in the brain after intracerebral haemorrhage and unfortunately, other than lowering blood pressure, no effective treatments are available for patients. To increase the likelihood of treating patients successfully in the future, it is essential that we further our understanding of how cells inside the brain react immediately following bleeding. However, as there is no way of knowing whether someone is going to have an intracerebral haemorrhage, accessing patients straight after the bleed is very difficult. To assist scientists and doctors with their research, animal models of intracerebral haemorrhage are required to study the biological changes that occur straight after the bleed. Unlike rodent models, which are commonly used in stroke research, young zebrafish are transparent meaning that we can easily observe living brain cells under a powerful microscope. Our recent work has shown that we can cause intracerebral haemorrhage in zebrafish embryos and that the brain cells of these fish react to bleeding in the same manner as what is proposed to occur in humans. We want to continue this research on brain haemorrhage using zebrafish models so that we can gain a much better understanding of how cells of the brain respond to the bleeding and if there are ways that we can stop the damage caused. We will also use these brain haemorrhage models to test medicines, to see if ‘blocking’ a specific disease process with a particular drug can reduce or prevent brain damage. We believe this work will significantly enhance the field of intracerebral haemorrhage research in humans and help in the identification of new treatments for patients.

Lay abstract: Intracerebral haemorrhage is a type of stroke, which is caused by bleeding in the brain, ultimately leading to brain damage, disability and often death. We currently know very little about the biological changes that occur in the brain after intracerebral haemorrhage and unfortunately, other than lowering blood pressure, no effective treatments are available for patients. To increase the likelihood of treating patients successfully in the future, it is essential that we further our understanding of how cells inside the brain react immediately following bleeding. However, as there is no way of knowing whether someone is going to have an intracerebral haemorrhage, accessing patients straight after the bleed is very difficult. To assist scientists and doctors with their research, animal models of intracerebral haemorrhage are required to study the biological changes that occur straight after the bleed. Unlike rodent models, which are commonly used in stroke research, young zebrafish are transparent meaning that we can easily observe living brain cells under a powerful microscope. Our recent work has shown that we can cause intracerebral haemorrhage in zebrafish embryos and that the brain cells of these fish react to bleeding in the same manner as what is proposed to occur in humans. We want to continue this research on brain haemorrhage using zebrafish models so that we can gain a much better understanding of how cells of the brain respond to the bleeding and if there are ways that we can stop the damage caused. We will also use these brain haemorrhage models to test medicines, to see if ‘blocking’ a specific disease process with a particular drug can reduce or prevent brain damage. We believe this work will significantly enhance the field of intracerebral haemorrhage research in humans and help in the identification of new treatments for patients.

Research activity codes: 2.1 BIOLOGICAL AND ENDOGENOUS FACTORS
Health categories: STROKE