Thrombin Activity Associated with Neuronal Damage during Acute Stage of Ischemic Stroke

A new hyperacute damage finding.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/cmc-ais013112.php
After ischemic stroke – the type caused by a clogged artery but with no bleeding into the brain – a normal protein that plays a positive role in blood clotting escapes intact arteries and seriously damages healthy brain cells. Scientists previously knew that thrombin leaked out during hemorrhagic strokes, and large amounts of the protein killed neurons. In new studies, researchers found thrombin in the brain after ischemic stroke; injecting a drug to counter the effects of thrombin improved stroke symptoms. Patrick D. Lyden, MD, chair of the Department of Neurology, the Carmen and Louis Warschaw Chair in Neurology at Cedars-Sinai and senior author of the poster presentation abstract, is available for interviews.