DUAL-ACTION DRUG PROTECTS SPINAL CORD AND IMPROVES OUTCOME
Robert P. Yezierski, Ph.D.

Agmatine, a drug that has at least two known effects on nervous system function, is a molecule found naturally in the brain and spinal cord. It targets processes known to be associated with secondary mechanisms of cell damage that occur after CNS injury. Recent findings reported by Dr. Robert Yezierski and his collaborators at the University of Minnesota show that this drug can improve outcome after SCI. They report that the drug is neuroprotective, in that it reduces the area of damaged tissue after SCI.

Rats that received the Agmatine treatment performed better in tests of locomotor function conducted within a week after the injury. Anatomical and behavioral data appear to indicate that less damage occurred in the long tracts traveling up and down the spinal cord. In models of injury that induce pain-related syndromes, the drug also diminished pain.

This novel drug appears to affect at least two separate cellular processes that could underlie cell damage or the development of pain syndromes. Rats were given the drug beginning soon after the injury, with repeat doses daily for two weeks. The results suggest that drug strategies that have more than one function may be excellent candidates for possible clinical applications.