MRI shows immune cells healing brain's lining after a concussion
National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists have observed in real time how immune system cells fix damaged lining of the brain, or meninges, after a concussion, according to an NIH news release from April 17.
Researchers watched the process in the brains of mice in real-time via MRI, which may help provide further knowledge regarding how humans heal after experiencing a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), according to the news release.
“The lining of the brain, with help from the immune system, has a remarkable ability to put itself back together again after injury,” said lead author Dorian McGavern, PhD, a scientist at the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, in a prepared statement. “As we learn more about all the cells involved in the repair process, we may be able to identify potential targets for therapy that lead to better outcomes for patients.”
The study was inspired by previous research of MRI scans of adults who experienced mTBI, of which roughly half had damage to their blood vessels in the meninges. McGavern and his team found that 17 percent of patients still showed blood vessel leakage three months after injury, resulting in incomplete recovery.
McGavern and colleagues used imaging tools on mice to watch, in real-time, how immune cells worked together to cooperatively repair the damaged mouse meninges up to a week after injury, according to the news release. Additionally, the researchers found that the timing of a second head injury had a major impact on the repair process.
“Following a head injury, the meninges call in a clean-up crew, followed by a separate repair crew, to help fix damaged blood vessels,” McGavern said, according to the news release. “The timing of a second head injury may determine whether the meninges can be repaired. We have shown on a cellular level, that two or more head injuries within a very short amount of time can have really dire consequences for the brain lining and its ability to repair. It is possible that patients who did not fully recover following a head injury may have had problems with the first phase of the repair process.”
The study was supported by the NIH Intramural Research Program published in Nature Immunology.
A recent graduate from Dominican University (IL) with a bachelor’s in journalism, Melissa joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering all aspects of health imaging. She’s a fan of singing and playing guitar, elephants, a good cup of tea, and her golden retriever Cooper.