Dancing Peptides Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier to Repair Stroke Damage in Mice

Northwestern researchers developed an intravenously delivered supramolecular peptide therapy, IKVAV-PA, that crosses the blood-brain barrier after a stroke, accumulates at injury sites, and reduces tissue damage and inflammation in mice with a single post-reperfusion dose, without detectable organ toxicity. While no short-term behavioral improvement was seen, the approach shows promise as an adjunct to clot-reopening treatments and could extend to other brain injuries pending longer-term studies on cognitive and functional recovery.