News Health & Medicine

Protein protects rat brains from strokes

By John Travis

- More than 2 years ago

A protein related to oxygen-carrying hemoglobin in blood cells may protect the brain during strokes.

BRAIN SHIELD. A rat with extra neuroglobin in its brain (top) suffers less tissue damage (outlined areas) after a stroke than a typical rat (bottom) does. Y. Sun et al./PNAS

Scientists discovered the hemoglobin cousin several years ago and dubbed it neuroglobin because only nerve cells in the brain of vertebrates make it.