Drug targeting inflammation helps improve the effects of stroke
A new delivery method for a drug delivered to the central nervous system holds hope for treating brain inflammation that comes after a stroke, researchers have found. The effect can be realized years after a stroke, they said.
The drug, etanercept, has been successful in treating other inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. The drug works by neutralizing tumor necrosis factor, a cytokine that initiates and amplifies inflammation.
When etanercept was administered to three stroke patients, all demonstrated improvement in areas such as motor function, gait, hand function, sensory deficits, spatial perception, speech and cognition within 10 minutes. The results of the study were published in Tuesday's issue of CNS Drugs.
