PALO ALTO, Calif. --
A naturally occurring molecule in our bodies may protect the brain against inflammation caused by stroke, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. They found that Alpha B-crystallin, a protein found in parts of the body such as the eye and the heart acts as a brake on the immune system, helping to curb inflammation in the brain.
In addition, the substance shrank the size of stroke-induced lesions in the brains of mice, even when administered hours after the stroke.
The results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.