BRAIN REPAIR AFTER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY THROUGH NEUROD1-MEDIATED ASTROCYTE-TO-NEURON CONVERSION

摘要

Methods of treating traumatic brain injury (TBI) are provided according to aspects of the present disclosure including: converting reactive astrocytes to functional neurons by providing exogenous neurogenic differentiation 1 (NeuroD1, also called ND1 herein) to at least one reactive astrocyte in a damaged region of a subject's brain, such as the brain of a human subject with a TBI. According to aspects, presence of non-functional neurons and reactive astrocytes in the damaged region of the subject's brain are not primarily due to bleeding and/or ischemia in the damaged region. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the traumatic brain injury causes a period of astrogliosis in the damaged region of the subject's brain, and the exogenous NeuroD1 is provided to reactive astrocytes in the damaged region of the subject's brain during the period of astrogliosis or within four weeks after the period of astrogliosis.