About This Project

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

The goal of this project is to examine the role of a protein, CaMKII, in the cell death pathway that is activated following stroke. Massive cell death that occurs following a stroke is responsible for all of the detrimental effects that are associated with stroke (i.e. motor function impairments, cognitive decline, etc.)

For the most part, strokes are caused by a blood vessel blockage or rupture that stops blood flow to part of the brain. The brain cells at the core of a stroke usually end up dying and can't be saved. When these cells are dying, they release many of their contents which kills surrounding cells in what is called secondary cell death. In addition to this toxic release, a prolonged inflammation response causes further damage brain cells.

We know it is possible to decrease the amount of secondary death, and thus decrease the effects of the stroke, but the cellular pathways that cause this death are not completely understood. By examining a model of stroke in cultured brain cells, I hope to further our understanding of stroke in order to protect ourselves from the cascading effects which cause so much additional damage.

What is the significance of this project?

Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Nearly everyone is or will be affected by stroke. Surprisingly, there is currently only one approved drug treatment for patients who have suffered from a stroke, and its effectiveness is very limited. Many additional drug treatments have made it to clinical trials but have failed to reproduce the promising results seen in rodent studies.

This research is important because it aims to look at cellular mechanisms beyond what are currently targeted in clinical trials.

Examining changes in CaMKII that result following excitotoxicity and inflammatory responses may help identify mechanisms involved in stroke-related cell death and eventually determine new target pathways for stroke intervention. This is important because stopping cell death could mean the difference between minor cognitive impairments or major loss of function.

What are the goals of the project?

Fortunately, the laboratory I work in currently has enough funding to finance most of what is required for the experiments I have proposed. However, there is not enough funding to support me as a research assistant.

Securing this funding will provide a modest stipend which will make the difference between me being able to conduct these experiments this summer/fall or having to find a job elsewhere and put these experiments on hold. In addition, about $500 (of the $2500) will go towards a few additional and essential reagents for this specific project.

Working in the laboratory this summer is my goal and will be made entirely possible with help from Microryza donors like you. If you have any questions about me or my experiments before donating, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

Email: braggr@students.wwu.edu