From football players to military personnel, people who suffer repeated head injuries often face serious long-term health issues.
These include problems with memory, mood, and movement, and in some cases, devastating diseases like Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Many former athletes, including NFL players like Aaron Hernandez, have suffered tragic outcomes linked to these injuries.
Scientists know that repeated concussions are dangerous, but they are still working to understand why. Now, researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have found new clues. Their study shows that the immune system may play a major role in long-term brain damage from repeated concussions.
The team was led by Dr. Stephen Tomlinson and Dr. Silvia Guglietta. They focused on a part of the immune system called the complement system. This system includes over 50 proteins that help fight infections by creating inflammation. While inflammation is a normal response to injury, too much of it—especially in the brain—can be harmful.
The researchers wanted to know how this system might affect the brain after mild but repeated head injuries. Previous studies looked mostly at severe brain injuries or strokes, but not the kind of repeated concussions that athletes often experience.
To answer this, the team developed a new lab model that mimics repeated concussions in humans. This was an important step, since no one had studied the role of the complement system in these mild, repetitive injuries before.
They also tested a drug called CR2-Crry, which blocks the complement system and reduces inflammation. The results were promising.
When the drug was used, the brain’s immune cells—called microglia—became less aggressive. These cells normally help by cleaning up damaged cells. But if they become too active, they can start removing healthy brain connections, which causes problems with thinking and memory.
With the drug treatment, microglia caused less damage. Brain cells and synapses were better preserved, inflammation decreased, and the test subjects showed fewer memory problems.
These findings are important because they show that inflammation caused by the immune system is a key reason why repeated concussions can lead to long-term brain damage.
Right now, people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are mostly treated for their symptoms. There are no medicines that can stop or reverse the damage. But drugs like the one used in this study are already being tested for other diseases. That means they could possibly be used for concussion treatment sooner rather than later.
The research team is now studying the long-term effects to see if these treatments can prevent neurodegenerative diseases in the future.
As concern grows about concussions in sports and the military, this study provides new hope. It points to a possible way to protect the brain by targeting the immune system. If successful, this research could lead to new treatments that help athletes, service members, and others at risk for repeated head injuries.
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The study is published in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy.
