Unlocking Recovery After Brain Haemorrhage: How Myelin and Blood Vessel Repair Could Transform Lives
- The Natalie Kate Moss Trust
- May 15
- 3 min read
Updated: May 19
At the Natalie Kate Moss Trust, we are committed to changing outcomes for people affected by brain haemorrhage. Thanks to your support, groundbreaking research is taking place right now at The University of Manchester, research that could help thousands of people recover better after an intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), a devastating type of stroke.
Dr. Katie Murray, who has been funded by the Natalie Kate Moss Trust fellowship, is leading one of these pioneering projects, focusing on two key areas: the loss and repair of myelin (a vital brain substance) and how to stabilise blood clots early after a haemorrhage to prevent further damage.
Why Myelin Matters
Think of myelin as insulation for the brain’s electrical wiring. It wraps around nerve fibres to help messages travel quickly and smoothly between different parts of the brain. Without healthy myelin, communication in the brain slows down or breaks down completely, affecting movement, memory, speech, and more.
Katie’s team has found that following a brain haemorrhage, myelin around the site of the bleed is initially preserved, but within a week, much of it is lost. By 28 days, this loss is often irreversible. This helps explain why many people who survive a brain haemorrhage still face long-term physical and cognitive difficulties.
Understanding this loss is a crucial step in finding solutions.
Can Myelin Be Regrown?
Here’s the exciting part: Katie’s research is revealing that the brain might be capable of regrowing myelin, even in adulthood. The key lies in special cells responsible for making myelin. The team has identified different types of these cells around the bleed and is working to understand how they behave and survive in the damaged brain.
If researchers can find ways to protect and encourage these cells, they may be able to promote natural healing in the brain, helping people regain abilities lost after a haemorrhage.
This could be a game-changer.
To help with this work, a state-of-the-art upgrade to a special 3D microscope is now available at the University. This new equipment allows researchers to see white matter tracts (highways of myelinated nerve fibres in the brain) in incredible detail. By understanding which of these pathways are damaged, doctors can better predict which functions might be affected and tailor rehabilitation more effectively.
Stopping the Bleed Before It Gets Worse
But that’s only one part of the picture. Another major breakthrough is focused on the blood vessels themselves.
After a haemorrhage, the body tries to stop the bleeding by forming a clot. However, in many cases, bleeding continues in the hours that follow, making things much worse. Up to 38% of patients experience this dangerous "rebleeding," which can drastically reduce chances of survival and recovery.
Katie’s team is exploring a process called ‘ThromboAngioplasticity’, or TAP. This is a natural way that blood vessels can adapt and reshape themselves to hold the clot in place, like scaffolding supporting a wall. The stronger this support, the less chance there is of further bleeding.
A Promising Protein: Annexin A5
The researchers have discovered that a protein called Annexin A5 can help speed up this blood vessel remodelling process. In mouse models, treatment with Annexin A5 led to fewer rebleeds and better outcomes.
This opens up the exciting possibility of developing a new treatment that could be given in the early hours after a brain haemorrhage, giving patients a better chance at survival and long-term recovery.
Hope for the Future
The progress being made in this work is a testament to the power of research, and the generosity of supporters like you.
Every step forward brings us closer to a world where fewer people die from brain haemorrhage, and more survivors can go on to live full, independent lives.
Together, we are not just funding research.
We are fuelling hope.
