title: Inflammation and immune system activation after traumatic brain injury.
abstract: Treatment options for managing traumatic brain injury remain limited. Therapies that limit the development of secondary brain injury--the delayed injury that can occur days to weeks after initial presentation--would have a major impact on outcomes and reduce the medical, social, and economic burden of this devastating disease. A growing body of evidence suggests that inflammation and activation of the immune system is a central driver of secondary brain injury. This article reviews the evidence for inflammation mediating secondary injury after head trauma and outlines potential approaches for immunomodulatory therapies after traumatic brain injury.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurocritical Care, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA, ramani.balu@uphs.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Ramani
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balu
mesh_terms: D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines