Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Canada. There are an estimated 50,000 strokes per year and over 14,000 reported deaths in 2009 (30% mortality rate). At the end of 2014 there were 315,000 stroke survivors in Canada, an estimated 90% of which live with long lasting brain and mental issues, costing our Health Care system $2.5 billion dollars within the first six months post stroke alone. Although stroke can happen at any age, an aging population is on track to increase the number of stroke victims and survivors - many of whom will be affected with dementia and motor deficits. This is projected to dramatically increase the financial and emotional burdens of government and caregivers alike, and underscores the importance for undertaking stroke research to accommodate a modern age of health care. Brain swelling, or edema, is a common consequence of stroke and brain injury and is the leading cause of death in patients who suffer from large strokes. Edema is caused by the movement of water from the blood into the brain in response to a sudden imbalance of naturally occurring ions (for example, sodium, potassium, and chloride) that are normally in equilibrium. It has been known for decades that chloride ions entering into brain cells is the key to causing water entry in edema. However, it was only last year that research from the MacVicar Lab had identified SLC26A11 as the protein primarily responsible triggering chloride imbalance, and therefore swelling, in stroke. Since little is known about SLC26A11, this proposal aims to study this protein as a therapeutic target. I will combine a robust set of experiments to research SLC26A11 function under normal conditions, as well as the mechanism by which it can become activated during stroke. In doing this, I can isolate and develop novel drug compounds to target SLC26A11 with equipment that is only available in the MacVicar Lab, with the long-term goal of reducing the severity of edema in stroke patients.