PROJECT SUMMARY
For most traumatic brain injuries (TBI), the moment that an impact occurs, there is surprisingly little apparent
damage. Yet, within minutes of impact, endogenous responses in the brain amplify and perpetuate the damage
manifold. This cascade of responses is called secondary injury, and it is thought that this process can lead to
long-term neurological problems. Our goal is to quickly mitigate some of the contributing elements of
secondary injury to reduce long-term damage and neurological impairments. We will use a unique combination
of drugs, including noninvasive delivery of one drug to the brain using a recently-developed co-polymer, poly
(lactide-co-glycolide)-graft-polyethylenimine (PgP) as a nanocarrier. Morphological, physiological, chemical,
and behavioral markers of secondary injury will be recorded at several time points up to one month after
experimental TBI in mice to determine if the drug combination reduces secondary injury at an earlier time point
than either drug alone, and if it maintains this reduction through one month after injury. We will use a unique
multimodal system to monitor effects comprised of a newly developed microwire biosensor for glutamate (GLU)
and ¿-aminobutyric acid (GABA) with a modified micro-prism implant to correlate the dynamics of GLU and
GABA signaling and ongoing secondary cellular damage by observing the same cells over time. Our highly
sensitive and selective GLU and GABA microbiosensor will be used to evaluate the effect of treatment on
reducing excitotoxicity by measuring extracellular concentrations and release dynamics in the cortex, in real
time, at 5 time points after TBI versus preinjury baseline. At the same time points, high-resolution multiphoton
microscopy through a permanently-implanted, modified prism will be used to facilitate a vertical view of cortical
layers 3-6, to monitor development of varicosities (swellings) on dendrites and axons, axonal undulations and
retraction bulbs, and the disappearance of axons. Furthermore, by viewing the same cells over time, we will
compare the ability of the drugs to resolve dendritic and axonal varicosities on cells exhibiting damage in
previous imaging sessions. Therapeutic effects will also be evaluated using standard behavioral tests for motor
coordination, exploration, and memory, and by using established assays and antibody staining and cytokine
assays for molecular biomarkers of secondary injury. By comparing the results from our novel combination of
optical imaging and real-time glutamate and GABA signaling with the results from well-established behavioral
and molecular biomarker tests at matched time points, we will demonstrate the utility of this longitudinal, optical-
biosensor system to quantify secondary damage and its resolution. Notably, this longitudinal approach will
require fewer animals because each animal serves as its own control, reducing variability, and each is used at
multiple time points. In addition, optical-biosensor data from injured, vehicle-treated mice will provide new
insights for better understanding the cascade of secondary injury and neural degeneration after TBI.
Furthermore, this new optical-biosensor system will become a valuable tool for evaluating other drugs and for
optimizing therapeutic windows.
