MMP-9 Enzyme Remodels Brain After Stroke

Stroke is one of the most feared diseases among the elderly. It often strikes without warning and the symptoms are vague and hard to determine. If treatment (tPA) isn’t administered within three hours after a stroke occurs, the patient is at greater risk of severe disability or death.

In a new study, researchers at Harvard University found that the enzyme matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) may help remodel brain tissue seven to 14 days after a stroke. This is an important finding because current treatment views the MMP-9 enzyme as a hazard, but new therapy may need to harness the power of the enzymes to repair brain tissue.

Just after a stroke—a temporary loss of blood to the brain caused by a clot or burst blood vessel—MMPs chew up damaged brain tissue. This increases the risk of swelling and hemorrhage in the brain. Some current stroke treatment research seeks ways to inhibit MMPs to minimize their danger—but this new study shows that a different approach may be required in the long run.

Learn to recognize the symptoms of stroke in yourself or a loved one:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Call emergency medical personnel immediately if you experience symptoms.

HHMI News, March 26, 2006