A study published in Science Translational Medicine reveals that a combination of two drugs, chlorpromazine and promethazine, can reduce stroke-related brain damage in mice by significantly lowering their body temperature. This approach, which revisits a concept from the 1980s, involves inducing hypothermia to slow metabolic activity and extend the time available for treatments that restore blood flow. Although a human trial showed the therapy was safe, it was ineffective at the doses used. The research suggests potential for these drugs to enhance stroke treatment by providing more time to address blood clots before severe damage occurs.
QUESTION: How might the development of effective hypothermia-inducing treatments change the way strokes are managed in the future?
Freezing brain damage in its tracks: cooling drugs limit stroke injury in mice
