New study identifies two proteins that may contribute to stroke recurrence

Press release issued: 22 July 2024

People who experience an arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic stroke (TIA) are at an increased risk of suffering a second stroke or other major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), making it critically important to identify risk factors and treatments to prevent these subsequent occurrences. The new study, led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and University of Bristol researchers, has identified new genetic and molecular risk factors that may reveal new pathways for treating patients after they experience their first stroke.

The study discovered genetic markers in inflammation that may be related to a second stroke or other major cardiovascular event following a stroke. These findings could help identify drug targets to mitigate stroke-related disability and mortality. Researchers identified two proteins, CCL27 and TNFRSF14, that are associated with subsequent MACE, but not initial strokes. These proteins are known to activate inflammation, which plays a key role in the development of strokes and many chronic conditions and diseases. The findings suggest that inflammation is a contributing factor to MACE outcomes among people after they have their first stroke.

Read the full University of Bristol news item

Paper: ‘Protein identification for stroke progression via Mendelian Randomization in million Veteran Program and UK Biobank’ by Andrew R. Elmore, Gina M. Peloso et al. in Stoke [open access].