Thrombin and Brain Recovery After Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a common and often fatal subtype of stroke and produces severe neurological deficits in survivors. At present, there is lack of effective treatments that improve outcome in ICH. A neglected aspect of ICH research is the development of approaches that can be effectively used to improve recovery. Although previous studies have showed that thrombin induces blood-brain barrier leakage, brain edema, and neuronal death after ICH, our recent studies have shown that thrombin may have a role in brain recovery after ICH. An understanding of the mechanisms by which thrombin affects neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and plasticity may facilitate brain recovery after ICH. (Stroke. 2009; 40[suppl 1]: S88-S89.)