![\"P1\"](\"http:\/\/snrp.uccaribe.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/P1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nDuring the first few hours after ischemic stroke, neurons can be rescued by administering anti-apoptotic drugs. This represents an important therapeutic opportunity and thus there is a compelling need to develop novel, clinically effective drugs to target these processes. In searching for novel pharmacological agents for the treatment of stroke, Drs. Martins and Ferchmin discovered a cembranoid compound 4R and demonstrated its neuroprotective effect in vitro.<\/i> Recently, these findings were extended with the demonstration that 4R also can function as an effective neuroprotective agent in vivo. <\/i>The present project builds on these exciting findings and expands our work on the mechanism of action of this drug, which represents a <\/b>new class of compounds with neuroprotective effect against ischemia. The project tests the hypothesis that the neuroprotective effect of 4R involves Akt, a well known anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory protein. Specifically, we hypothesize that 4R promotes neuroprotection by activating Akt, which leads to an inhibition of apoptosis, and suppresses inflammation by inhibiting cytokine release. \u00a0<\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
P.I. Antonio Henrique Martins Collaborator Dr. Byron Ford, Morehouse School of Medicine During the first few hours after ischemic stroke, neurons can be rescued by administering anti-apoptotic drugs. This represents an important therapeutic opportunity and thus there is a compelling need to develop novel, clinically effective drugs to target these processes. In searching for novel … <\/p>\n