A therapy shown in the laboratory to protect brain tissue after a stroke is closely approaching clinical trials in humans. Studies of high-dose human albumin therapy in lab animals show the therapy has significant protective properties in stroke and traumatic brain injury. Now, researchers from the University of Miami are studying the effects of albumin therapy in more moderate doses they say humans may be better able to tolerate. Lab animals were given either half of the original dose of albumin, one quarter of the original dose, or a placebo. Researchers then tested for a variety of functions including reflexes and response to visual and tactile stimuli.
Researchers already know brain swelling is highly responsive to albumin therapy.
This study not only confirmed albumin's effect on brain swelling but also showed a 58 percent reduction in neurological damage at just one-forth of the previous dose studied. The group that received half of the original dose showed a nearly 70 percent reduction in neurological damage. Researchers emphasize the advantage of the multi-functional properties of the drug. It protects neuronal tissue, reduces brain swelling, and it has antioxidant effects, among other benefits. He says initiating early-phase clinical trials is a feasible next step.