Traumatic Brain Injury Research

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with approximately 2 million reported TBI events in the US annually. The pathogenesis of TBI involves two components: the initial mechanical injury and subsequent secondary cell death that expands the core lesion. Animal model studies and clinical data both indicate that an initial brain pathology appears to be the dysfunction or disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Rupture of the BBB leads to the release of intracellular proteins either intact or cleaved fragments from protease activation into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or blood stream. Currently identified released proteins and proteolytic fragments observed in both human and TBI animal biofluids