By Ed Cara Published March 2, 2025 | Comments (0) | When delivered up the nose, the experimental antibody treatment foralumab might be able to keep the immune system from going haywire after a traumatic brain injury. Di Studio via Shutterstock The best treatment for a hard knock on the head might someday involve a quick sniff of a nasal spray. Researchers have found early evidence in mice that an antibody-based treatment delivered up the nose can reduce the brain damage caused by concussions and more serious traumatic injuries. Scientists at Mass General Brigham conducted the study, published Thursday inNature Neuroscience. In brain-injured mice, the experimental spray appeared to improve the brains natural acute healing process while also reducing damaging inflammation later on. The findings could lead to a genuine prophylactic against the long-term impacts of traumatic brain injuries and other conditions like stroke, the researchers say. Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, are a persistent public health problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 200,000 Americans were hospitalized by a TBI in 2020, while nearly 70,000 died as a result. Scientists are also learning that TBIs, including the mild ones that we call concussions, can cause lingering neurological issues and may even raise the risk of dementia decades later. While there are ways to reduce the acute harm caused by TBIs, such as plenty of rest for concussions or surgery for serious injuries, theres no established medication for preventing the chronic effects of it (that said, brain rehabilitation therapy is often an important part of recovery). In recent years, however, Mass General Brigham researchers have been studying an experimental lab-made antibody called foralumab thats shown promise for neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis. So they decided to see whether foralumab might also be useful for TBIs. Foralumab, developed by the company Tiziana Life Sciences, targets a specific group of proteins that interact with the brains immune cells, called CD3. This suppression of CD3, the teams earlier work has suggested, increases the activity of certain immune cells known as regulatory T cells (Treg). As the name implies, these cells help regulate the brains immune response to make sure it doesnt go haywire.Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disabilityincluding cognitive declineand chronic inflammation is one of the key reasons, said lead researcher Saef Izzy, head of the Immunology of Brain Injury Program at Brigham and Womens Hospital, in a statement from Mass General. In their latest mice study, the researchers found that foralumabvia the increased activity of Treg cellsimproved aspects of the brains immediate healing from a traumatic injury. The dosed mices microglia (the brains unique first line of immune defense) became better at eating and cleaning up after damaged cells, for instance. Afterward, the drug also appeared to prevent microglia from becoming chronically inflamed, As a result, relative to mice in a control group, mice treated with foralumab up to three days post-injury experienced greater improvements in their motor function and coordination.These findings suggest that nasal anti-CD3 represents a promising new therapeutic approach for treating TBI and potentially other forms of acute brain injury, the researchers wrote. Studies in mice and other animals are only the first step in proving that a new drug or vaccine can work as hoped. Quite obviously, more research is needed to validate the drugs potential for TBI treatment. But foralumab has already shown early positive results in human trials for MS, with other trials for Alzheimers and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis having started or soon to be underway. That raises hope that this antibody can become a new and much needed treatment option for numerous brain conditions, TBI included.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Ed Cara Published February 6, 2025 By Ed Cara Published January 19, 2025 By Ed Cara Published January 16, 2025 By Ed Cara Published January 12, 2025 By Ed Cara Published December 4, 2024 By Ed Cara Published December 3, 2024