Background
Traumatic
brain injury is a major medical problem globally and is one of the leading
causes of death and disability. There is no known treatment for stroke or
ischaemic brain injury.
A stroke
is a medical emergency and can cause permanent brain damage and death. Risk
factors for stroke include old age, high blood pressure, previous stroke or
transient ischemic attack (TIA), diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking and heart
attack. Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide.
The
Technology
This
invention has arisen from our discovery of a novel isoform of the TRPC3 ion
channel subunit (TRPC3c) which has notably stronger activation and associated
Ca2+ entry than previously identified isoforms. We have shown that
expression of this TRPC3c isoform is regulated in the brain, and that the
channel activity of TRPC3c channels is potently blocked by genistein and PyR3,
another TRPC channel blocker.
Key
Benefits
Currently
no known treatments for stroke
TRPC3(c) drug target for
ischaemic/excitotoxic brain injury
Treatment of epileptic
seizures
Traumatic
brain injury neuroprotection
UNSW is
seeking a commercial partner to licence and/or to work collaboratively with the
inventor Professor Gary Housley in the development of this potentially
disruptive therapeutic agent.
https://research.unsw.edu.au/people/professor-gary-david-housley
Please
click here to view a one-page Technology Brief