A neuroprotective tetrapeptide for treatment of acute traumatic brain injury
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major clinical problem because of the high incidence and the severity of the subsequent sequelae. Despite extensive efforts, there are no therapeutic drugs clinically approved for treating acute TBI patients. To address this unmet need, we assessed the activity of the tetrapeptide, CAQK, in mice. When administered intravenously shortly after moderate or severe TBI, CAQK accumulates in the injured brain in mice and pigs. CAQK binds to an extracellular matrix glycoprotein complex that is upregulated in injured brain. Treatment of TBI mice with CAQK resulted in reduction in the size of the injury compared to control mice. There was reduced upregulation of the glycoprotein complex, less apoptosis, and lower expression of inflammatory markers in the injured area, indicating that CAQK alleviates neuroinflammation and the ensuing secondary injury. CAQK treatment also improved functional deficit in TBI mice, with no overt toxicity. Our findings suggest that CAQK may have therapeutic applications in TBI.
Source: EMBO Molecular Medicine
Authors: Aman P Mann, Sazid Hussain, Pablo Scodeller, Hope N B Moore, Elan Sherazee, Rachel M Russo, Erkki Ruoslahti
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $7,990
Awards: G1103504851, G1599604743, A Novel Neuro-Protective Peptide for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury, SBIR Phase II: A Novel Platform to Enable Directed Delivery of Therapeutics into Brain Injuries, Development of a novel peptide therapeutic for traumatic brain injury, G4493206758, G5958187161, G7566573407, SBIR Phase I: A Novel Platform to Enable Directed Delivery of Therapeutics into Brain Injuries
OpenAlex ID: W4414686340