Cerebrovascular Session-Microglia Activation State as a Novel Biomarker for Outcomes After Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This video presentation discusses the research on microglia activation states as a potential biomarker for outcomes after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The presenter, Christine Che, is an NIH StrokeNet Research Fellow at Wake Forest School of Medicine. They explain that ICH accounts for 20% of all strokes worldwide, with about 2 million cases a year. The mortality rate within 30 days is 40-50%, and only 20% of patients regain functional independence within 6 months. Currently, there are no effective medical or surgical treatment protocols for primary and secondary brain injury caused by ICH. Microglia, the resident macrophages of the CNS, become activated in response to hemorrhage, and there are two activation phenotypes: M1 (pro-inflammatory) and M2 (anti-inflammatory). The presenter hypothesizes that early conversion of microglia from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory state can lead to decreased edema and improved clinical outcomes. They aim to isolate microglia in post-operative drain fluid from ICH surgical patients, determine their activation states, and correlate them with imaging and clinical outcome. The study involves five patients with spontaneous ICH who required evacuation within 24 hours of symptom onset. Single-cell Western blotting will be used to identify microglia phenotypes, and various assessments and imaging techniques will be done during the first 72 hours post-ictus and at six-month follow-up visits. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting and the use of antibodies are mentioned as techniques for isolating microglia. The presentation concludes by highlighting the future plans for the study, such as assessing phosphorylation states of transcription factors and identifying signaling pathways and genes involved in neuroinflammation. The presenter expresses gratitude to their mentors, Drs. Wolff and Asmus.

Keywords

microglia activation states

biomarker

spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

ICH

Christine Che