LC-MS identifies oncogene Rab33B in ischemic brain tissue

Research conducted using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has detected higher levels of the oncogene Rab33B in brain tissue following an ischemic cerebral event.

Ischemia occurs when oxygen is unable to reach the tissue in the brain and is the most common cause of stroke.

Typically, it is caused by the blockage of a vessel elsewhere in the body, unlike haemorrhagic stroke which occurs when weakened vessels within the brain itself bleed into the tissue.

A study published in Experimental & Translational Stroke Medicine reports the findings of LC-MS research into the after-effects of ischemic attack.

Specifically, the scientists focused on levels of Rab33B, a known oncogene which, if expressed to a significantly high degree, can be associated with the formation of tumours.

They found a time-dependent link between ischemia in the brain and the number of cells found to be positive for content of Rab33B, with a general up-regulation of the oncogene throughout the ischemic striatum.