Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2016
Nicotinamide Treatment in Traumatic Brain Injury: Operation Brain Trauma Therapy.
Nicotinamide (vitamin B3) was the first drug selected for cross-model testing by the Operation Brain Trauma Therapy (OBTT) consortium based on a compelling record of positive results in pre-clinical models of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to either moderate fluid percussion injury (FPI), controlled cortical impact injury (CCI), or penetrating ballistic-like brain injury (PBBI). Nicotinamide (50 or 500 mg/kg) was delivered intravenously at 15 min and 24 h after injury with subsequent behavioral, biomarker, and histopathological outcome assessments. ⋯ Overall, our results showed a surprising lack of benefit from the low dose nicotinamide. In contrast, and partly in keeping with the literature, some benefit was achieved with the high dose. The marginal benefits achieved with nicotinamide, however, which appeared sporadically across the TBI models, has reduced enthusiasm for further investigation by the OBTT Consortium.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2016
Erythropoietin Treatment in Traumatic Brain Injury: Operation Brain Trauma Therapy.
Experimental studies targeting traumatic brain injury (TBI) have reported that erythropoietin (EPO) is an endogenous neuroprotectant in multiple models. In addition to its neuroprotective effects, it has also been shown to enhance reparative processes including angiogenesis and neurogenesis. Based on compelling pre-clinical data, EPO was tested by the Operation Brain Trauma Therapy (OBTT) consortium to evaluate therapeutic potential in multiple TBI models along with biomarker assessments. ⋯ No treatment effects were seen on biomarker levels after FPI, whereas treatment at either dose exacerbated the increase in GFAP at 24 h in PBBI but attenuated 24-4 h delta UCH-L1 levels at high dose in CCI. Our data indicate a surprising lack of efficacy of EPO across three established TBI models in terms of behavioral, histopathological, and biomarker assessments. Although we cannot rule out the possibility that other doses or more prolonged treatment could show different effects, the lack of efficacy of EPO reduced enthusiasm for its further investigation in OBTT.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2016
Simvastatin Treatment in Traumatic Brain Injury: Operation Brain Trauma Therapy.
Simvastatin, the fourth drug selected for testing by Operation Brain Trauma Therapy (OBTT), is a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor used clinically to reduce serum cholesterol. In addition, simvastatin has demonstrated potent antineuroinflammatory and brain edema reducing effects and has shown promise in promoting functional recovery in pre-clinical models of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The purpose of this study was to assess the potential neuroprotective effects of oral administration of simvastatin on neurobehavioral, biomarker, and histopathological outcome measures compared across three pre-clinical TBI animal models. ⋯ A detrimental effect on cortical tissue loss was also seen in the FPI model, and there were no benefits on histology across the other models. Simvastatin also produced negative effects on circulating glial fibrillary acidic protein biomarker outcomes that were evident in the FPI and PBBI models. Overall, the current findings do not support the beneficial effects of simvastatin administration over 2 weeks post-TBI using the oral route of administration and, as such, it will not be further pursued by OBTT.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2016
ReviewOperation Brain Trauma Therapy: Approach to Modeling, Therapy Evaluation, Drug Selection, and Biomarker Assessments, for a Multi-Center Pre-Clinical Drug Screening Consortium for Acute Therapies in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was the signature injury in both the Iraq and Afghan wars and the magnitude of its importance in the civilian setting is finally being recognized. Given the scope of the problem, new therapies are needed across the continuum of care. Few therapies have been shown to be successful. ⋯ To address this possibility and attempt to bring the most promising therapies to clinical trials, we developed Operation Brain Trauma Therapy (OBTT), a multicenter, pre-clinical drug screening consortium for acute therapies in severe TBI. OBTT was developed to include a spectrum of established TBI models at experienced centers and assess the effect of promising therapies on both conventional outcomes and serum biomarker levels. In this review, we outline the approach to TBI modeling, evaluation of therapies, drug selection, and biomarker assessments for OBTT, and provide a framework for reports in this issue on the first five therapies evaluated by the consortium.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2016
ReviewSynthesis of Findings, Current Investigations, and Future Directions: Operation Brain Trauma Therapy.
Operation Brain Trauma Therapy (OBTT) is a fully operational, rigorous, and productive multicenter, pre-clinical drug and circulating biomarker screening consortium for the field of traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this article, we synthesize the findings from the first five therapies tested by OBTT and discuss both the current work that is ongoing and potential future directions. Based on the results generated from the first five therapies tested within the exacting approach used by OBTT, four (nicotinamide, erythropoietin, cyclosporine A, and simvastatin) performed below or well below what was expected based on the published literature. ⋯ The sixth and seventh therapies have just completed testing (glibenclamide and Kollidon VA 64), and an eighth drug (AER 271) is in testing. Incorporation of circulating brain injury biomarker assessments into these pre-clinical studies suggests considerable potential for diagnostic and theranostic utility of glial fibrillary acidic protein in pre-clinical studies. Given the failures in clinical translation of therapies in TBI, rigorous multicenter, pre-clinical approaches to therapeutic screening such as OBTT may be important for the ultimate translation of therapies to the human condition.