PNAs: the effect of B cells on recovery after stroke

February 19, 2020 / biourn / -- new research from the University of Kentucky shows that the immune system can target specific areas of the brain to improve recovery after stroke Research published in the journal PNAs by researchers from the British medical school, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the University of Pennsylvania shows that after a stroke, B cells migrate to remote areas of the brain, which are known to produce new neurons and regulate cognitive and motor functions (image source: www Pixabay Com) ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke, which occurs when an artery in the brain is blocked by a blood clot After an ischemic stroke, B cells migrate to the stroke site as part of the immune response But the new study suggests that B cells may also move to other areas of the brain, including the injured and uninjured Ann Stowe, associate professor of Neurology in the UK and senior author of the study, said: "this study expands the areas of the brain that we need to pay attention to when we study stroke." These areas are critical for functional recovery, so they may become targets for drug development or treatment " The researchers studied the recovery of mice after stroke Through whole brain imaging, they found that B cells can not only migrate to the infarct or stroke site, but also to other areas supporting motor and cognitive recovery The recovery rate of these areas decreased after stroke in B-cell deficient mice The results may bring a new treatment for stroke patients "This study suggests that B cells may have more neurotrophic effects," Stowe said Hopefully, we can better understand the inflammatory process after stroke, and in the long run, we may find which immune cell subsets can support the recovery of stroke " Source of information: study examines impact of B cells on stroke recovery original source: Sterling B Ortega et al B cells migrate into remote brain areas and support neurogenesis and functional recovery after focal stroke in mice, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020) Doi: 10.1073/pnas.1913292117