I have today posted a news item but since it is so important I am reproducing it in this blog.

It is as follows:-

"The need to objectively measure head injury severity at the scene of a road accident or in Casualty cannot be overstated. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major health issue with millions of victims affected annually the world over. Yet there are no objective, blood based diagnostic tests for TBI, and no effective pharmacological treatments. The absence of medically validated brain injury diagnostic markers, as an indicator of brain tissue damage, with the ability to measure changes in the brain cells, and biochemistry and molecules after the injury has been identified as a major limitation in diagnostic and therapeutic development for brain injury. However, significant strides have now been made towards solving these problems. Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins, particularly their structures and functions. Proteins are vital parts of living organisms, as they are the main components of the physiological metabolic pathways of cells. Major research advances in neurotrauma neuroproteomics have identified several markers that are under evaluation as TBI biomarkers. Although there are currently no biomarkers with proven relevance for diagnosis of brain injury, whether it is caused by TBI, stroke, or other acute brain injuries, research has uncovered several candidate markers that have shown some preclinical potential. Clinical validation with human serum samples using these biomarkers is in progress. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), a symptoms-based neurological scale used to assess level of consciousness after a TBI, divides patients into broad categories of mild, moderate, and severe injury. While the GCS has proven its usefulness in the clinical management and prognosis of severe TBI patients, it cannot provide information about the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for a patient’s neurological deficits. In addition, specific patient populations are difficult to assess with the GCS, particularly those who suffer from mild or moderate TBI, which account for 80 – 90% of all cases. The future of biomarkers to diagnose and guide therapeutic development and treatment of TBI is very promising. As studies continually expand so does knowledge of the internal workings of the brain under pathological conditions and, as more is learned about the proteins that make up the brain, the closer science is to finding a means to diagnose and treat TBI."

Source: IBIA Issue 02 2008

I will be producing some more research news items shortly so watch this space.