Known as 3K3A-APC, a newly tested drug used to treat strokes in humans may also be safe and beneficial against vascular dementia, according to research in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
The research showed that 3K3A-APC protected a number of rodents from injury to the brain’s white matter, which is said to result in cognitive decline.
“Subcortical white matter (WM) stroke accounts for 25% of all strokes and is the second leading cause of dementia,” researchers explained. “Despite such clinical importance, we still do not have an effective treatment for ischemic WM stroke, and the mechanisms of WM postischemic neuroprotection remain elusive.”
“We show that protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) and PAR3 were also required for 3K3A-APC’s suppression of post–WM stroke microglia and astrocyte responses and overall improvement in neuropathologic and functional outcomes,” the researchers also explained.
“Our data provide new insights into the neuroprotective APC pathway in the WM and illustrate 3K3A-APC’s potential for treating WM stroke in humans, possibly including multiple WM strokes that result in vascular dementia.”
The findings were published on November 30th, 2021.
