X-Message-Number: 9696 From: Eugene Leitl <> Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 18:00:29 +0400 (MSD) Subject: ISCHAEMIA: BAF apoptosis blocker ; forward from bionet.neuroscience References: <98512123230.~> David Fulford-Brown writes: [...] > NEW SCIENTIST ARTICLE > > The full article appears in issue 9/5/98 p21 and in Journal of > Clinical Investigation. > > A way may have been found to prevent brain injury due to lack of > oxygen. Cells starved of oxygen die, but not straight away. First, > chemical messages must be sent out, instructing the cells to die. > > David Holtzman and colleagues at Washington University, St Louis > attempted to block the cell self-destruct messages using a substance > called BAF. > > Two lots of rats were subjected to decreased oxygen. Some were > subsequently given the BAF. Others weren't. Those rats who did not get > the BAF lost "about half the tissue in their cortex and hippocampus" > while those who had been treated with BAF within 3 hours of cell > damage lost no more than 20%. > > The article says that human trials of similar drugs may begin in a few > years. But I'm wondering if this treatment has any benefits for > fetuses with hydrocephalus (or even spina bifida!)? > > Does anyone know of any similar drugs which are completing human > trials? > > Please e-mail me or post replies in alt.support.spina-bifida. Thanks > for any and all help. > > David F-B > Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9696