An international team of scientists, led by the company Aivocode and including researchers from the Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has discovered that a small compound—a peptide made up of four amino acids called CAQK—has a significant neuroprotective effect in mouse models of traumatic brain injury. When administered intravenously shortly after injury in animal models (mice and pigs), CAQK specifically targets the damaged areas of the brain, attracted by a protein that is overexpressed in injured tissue following trauma. CAQK accumulates in the region marked by this protein and is able to reduce inflammation, cell death, and damage to brain tissue. Moreover, in mice, it improved functional recovery without apparent toxicity.

A noninvasive device that delivers weak electrical currents to the brain may help those with multiple sclerosis cut back on excessive cannabis use, a new NYU Langone Health study of women with the condition shows.