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University of Cambridge The Stroke Research Group of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge Clinical School undertakes a broad range of research both basic and clinical on various aspects of stroke. It capitalizes on the unique facilities of the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre sited within the hospital and endowed with state-of-the-art research dedicated clinical PET (including cyclotron and radiochemistry facilities) and 3T-MR. In addition, the group has access to the Department’s animal PET and laboratory facilities at the Brain Repair Centre, also located on the same site, allowing parallel studies to be run in stroke patients and rodent models of focal ischemia. One strong emphasis is on the fate of the acutely reperfused penumbra, the aim being to assess whether secondary cellular processes taking place in the salvaged penumbra such as selective neuronal loss and microglial activation interfere with recovery and hamper optimal outcome, which if true would open up new avenues for therapy complementing thrombolysis and spontaneous recanalisation. Other interests include PET imaging and quantification of brain hypoxia; studying neural plasticity using fMRI; and PET imaging of carotid plaque inflammation in relation with cerebral damage and micro-embolic signals. In 2008 the group will have access to a new Molecular Imaging facility which will include not only animal PET and MR, but also a hybrid PET/MR prototype, animal house and behavioural lab, pharmacology and histopathology laboratories, and dedicated PET radiochemistry facility. In EUSTROKE the group will use sophisticated PET methods to map acute hypoxia and subsequent glial activation/inflam-mation in the reperfused penumbra in WP8. Through a cooperative effort with WP3 they will assess the benefits from acute oxygen therapy and/or blockade of post-reperfusion microglial activation on tissue outcome after temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion.
Project Staff
Oksana Golovko, PET radiochemistry technician Rob Smith, Cyclotron Engineer Paul Burke, Cyclotron Technician Helen Steenson, Animal Facilities manager
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