Neurology; inflammation

Patient and mouse studies suggest inhibiting CCR5 could help treat stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI). In stroke patients, the absence of a loss-of-function mutant CCR5 allele was associated with the severity of motor, sensory and cognitive impairments six months to one year after stroke. In a mouse model of stroke, injection into the pre-motor cortex of an shRNA targeting CCR5 encoded in an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector or i.p. injection of the CCR5 antagonist Selzentry maraviroc increased ambulatory function and the number of dendritic spines and interhemispheric axon projections in the pre-motor cortex and decreased inflammation in the peri-infarct region of the cortex compared with empty vector or vehicle, respectively. In a mouse model of TBI, intrahippocampal injection of the shRNA targeting CCR5 encoded in an AAV vector or Selzentry decreased cognitive deficits. Next steps include testing Selzentry in stroke patients...