The combined effect of two drugs on traumatic brain injury in mice has confirmed the therapeutic effects of both, according to a recent study.
Simvastatin is an anti-inflammatory drug, which has the ability to promote nerve growth and regrowth. It has therefore been labelled as a potential therapeutic agent for traumatic brain injury (TBI) alongside erythropoietin, which promotes cell growth and prevents cell death.
Erythropoietin was found, as expected, to be more effective at promoting cell growth, while simvastatin was found to be more effective at restoring damaged nerves in the mice. The most promising findings were that the combined effects of the drugs on several categories of recovery (nerve re-growth, cell growth and functional improvement represented through behavioural tests) were greater than the effects of either drug alone.
Another promising factor of the research is that the results did not depend on drugs being administered prior to TBI. All drug administration took place at six hours, one day and three days post-injury.
The current research is particularly encouraging as the effects of combination therapy were shown to both prevent molecular and cellular damage, while also reducing behavioural effects of TBI. Although this research has been conducted on mice, the results may mean that investigations can be taken to the next level, hopefully leading towards production of an agent suitable for administration in humans.
Reference
Chauhan & Gatto (2010), Synergistic benefits of erythropoietin and simvastatin after traumatic brain injury. Brain Research1360, 177-192
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