Using the body’s own cells to treat traumatic brain injury

More than a million people in the US suffer from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year, about 230,000 of them are hospitalized, and almost 70,000 die from TBI-related causes. There is currently no treatment for the damage caused to brain tissue during a TBI, beyond managing a patient’s symptoms. One of the main drivers of TBI-caused damage is a runaway inflammatory cascade in the brain.

Scientists have created a new treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) that shrank brain lesions by 56% and significantly reduced local inflammation levels in pigs. The new approach leverages macrophages, a type of white blood cell that can dial inflammation up or down in the body in response to infection and injury.

The team created disc-shaped microparticles called “backpacks” containing anti-inflammatory molecules, then attached them directly to the macrophages. These molecules kept the cells in an anti-inflammatory state when they arrived at the injury site in the brain, enabling them to reduce local inflammation and mitigate the damage caused. The research is reported in PNAS Nexus.

“It’s generally believed anti-inflammatory therapies can be effective for treating TBI, but so far, none of them have proven effective clinically. Our previous work with macrophages has shown us that we can use our backpack technology to effectively steer their behavior when they arrive at the injury site.

Reference: Using the body’s own cells to treat traumatic brain injury; PNAS Nexus