Grant: Project Grant

Stroke constitutes a major cause of death and disability of the adults in Canada. It imposes considerable burden on society and economy. Currently, no efficient therapy exists. The cerebral blood vessels form with the nerve cells a functional interface that enables the proper functioning of the brain. The interface comprises specialized cells, which possess multifunctional characteristics, located between the vessels and nerve cells, therefore called perivascular cells. The recent reports are suggesting that these perivascular cells contribute to restoration of injured brain tissue after stroke by giving rise to other brain cell types that are implicated in scar formation via unknown mechanisms. Our findings have identified potential stroke-specific mechanisms that control the restorative characteristics of perivascular cells in the brain. Furthermore, our findings suggest that targeting the function of perivascular cells using pharmacological and cell-based approaches stimulates brain repair after stroke. The project will dissect the role of the identified mechanisms in regulating the intrinsic restorative characteristics of perivascular cells after stroke and will evaluate the implications on brain repair. Furthermore, the project will explore novel therapeutic interventions to promote recovery after stroke via modulation of the identified mechanisms. To achieve these objectives, clinically relevant animal stroke models in which the identified mechanisms are modulated using genetic tools will be used. Moreover, clinically relevant approaches that aim to promote tissue repair via modulation of perivascular cell functions will be applied. The expected findings will provide new fundamental insights into the mechanisms implicated in brain recovery after stroke and will highlight new therapeutic avenues that can be used in patients.