Stroke Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Stroke, including details on treatment, recovery, rehabilitation, signs, symptoms.

Involvement of matrix metalloproteinase in neuroblast cell migration from the subventricular zone after stroke.

Lee SR, Kim HY, Rogowska J, Zhao BQ, Bhide P, Parent JM, Lo EH

Department of Neurology and Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, USA.

After brain injury, neuroblast cells from the subventricular zone (SVZ) expand and migrate toward damaged tissue. The mechanisms that mediate these neurogenic and migratory responses remain to be fully dissected. Here, we show that bromodeoxyuridine-labeled and doublecortin-positive cells from the SVZ colocalize with the extracellular protease matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) during the 2 week recovery period after transient focal cerebral ischemia in mice. Treatment with the broad spectrum MMP inhibitor GM6001 significantly decreases the migration of doublecortin-positive cells that extend from the SVZ into the striatum. These data suggest that MMPs are involved in endogenous mechanisms of neurogenic migration as the brain seeks to heal itself after injury.

Published 30 March 2006 in J Neurosci, 26(13): 3491-5.
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