Immunomodulatory Nanoparticles for the Therapeutic Intervention of Traumatic Brain Injury

NU  2019-030

INVENTORS
John Kessler
Sripadh Sharma

ABSTRACT
There is no decisive treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI). After the primary trauma, secondary injury, largely mediated by blood-borne immune cells called monocytes, takes place causing damage to surrounding healthy cells. Furthermore, cellular and whole brain swelling (edema) resulting from this secondary injury causes increased intracranial pressure increasing risk of (and often causing) irreversible brain damage and death. Therapies targeting the various secondary injury mediators have not been successful mainly because of lack of specificity to pro-inflammatory damaging cells. For the first time, Northwestern researchers have characterized the use of a modified FDA-approved material in TBI that is very selective to eliminating a specific subtype of monocytes that cause much of this damage. Using this therapy in multiple TBI models, they have demonstrated initial evidence of preservation of significant amounts of functional brain tissue, a more anti-inflammatory lesion area, and vastly superior behavior recovery in treated animals.

APPLICATIONS

• Emergent treatment of TBI by first responders in the field to preserve vulnerable brain tissue
• Prevention of life-threatening edema in emergency department (ED) visits of seemingly-healthy TBI patients

ADVANTAGES

• Specific to pro-inflammatory/damage inducing immune cells that is not an expensive or potentially harmful biologic/anti-body in TBI
• Extremely convenient to transport, store, dose and administer in life-threatening TBIs

IP STATUS
A US application has been filed.

PUBLICATION
Sharma S, Ifergan I, Kurz J, Linsenmeier R, Xu D, Cooper D, Miller S and Kessler J (2020) Intravenous Immunomodulatory Nanoparticle Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury.  Annals of Neurology 87: 442-455