Advancing Therapies for Stoke, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Gliobastoma

The Belayev Research Program focuses on developing innovative therapies for some of the most devastating neurological conditions affecting patients worldwide. Through translational and basic science research, our laboratory investigates novel neuroprotective strategies designed to improve recovery after stroke, traumatic brain injury, and malignant brain tumors.

 

Research at a Glance

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the USA and a leading cause of adult disability. No medical treatment is approved for stroke aside from tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a thrombolytic agent restricted to administration within 4.5 h after stroke onset, but only a few patients (5–8%) qualify for this treatment within this short window. There is no specific therapy for the majority of stroke patients.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide, especially among children and young adults. Causes include falls, vehicle accidents, and violence. Each year, TBI contributes to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability. Recent data indicate that approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury annually. TBI can cause a wide range of short- or long-term functional changes, affecting thinking, sensation, language, and/or emotions. TBI can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age. There are no approved therapies that directly address these underlying processes.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive, highly proliferative, invasive brain tumor with a poor prognosis and low survival rate. The current standard of care for GBM is chemotherapy combined with radiation after surgical intervention, but efficacy remains limited, with survival averaging 18 months. Improving treatment outcomes for patients with GBM requires a multifaceted approach because of the dysregulation of numerous signaling pathways. Recently emerging therapies that precisely modulate tumor angiogenesis, inflammation, and oxidative stress are gaining attention as potential options to combat GBM. 

 

Featured Research Programs

 

From Discovery to Patient Impact

Our laboratory combines both fundamental and translational scientific approaches to accelerate the development of potential therapies and improve patient outcomes.

 

Research Interests

1. Development and evaluation of animal models of stroke:

• Models of global cerebral ischemia in rats and mice:
• Two-vessel occlusion model of forebrain ischemia
• Four-vessel occlusion model of forebrain ischemia
• Models of focal cerebral ischemia in rats and mice:
• Middle cerebral artery occlusion by intraluminal suture
• Mechanical (electrocoagulation, micro clip)
• Hemorrhagic models in rats and mice:
• Intracerebral hemorrhagic models (blood, collagenase)
• SAH and vasospasm: (injection of blood into the cisterna magna and puncture of the cerebral artery

2. Development and evaluation of animal models of traumatic brain injury:

• Lateral fluid percussion injury model
• Controlled weight drops brain injury

3. Development and evaluation of animal models of spinal cord injury

4. Development and evaluation of animal models of brain tumors

5. Recovering function after brain injury (neural plasticity and reorganization), expertise in different neurobehavioral tests.

6. Evaluation of blood-brain integrity.

7. Histopathology and image analysis of the brain after stroke and head trauma.

8. Neuroprotection in brain ischemia and traumatic brain injury.