The role of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) in acute ischemic stroke severity and influence on treatment failure

The goal of my research is to understand how changes in the inflammatory environment in the blood after ischemic stroke affect stroke treatment outcomes and relate to stroke severity. Specifically looking at Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) as a target for further study and potential therapy. My central hypothesis is markers of NET formation within the patients’ plasma at the time of acute ischemic stroke will correlate with increased clinical and radiographic stroke severity and higher rates of treatment failure. To test this hypothesis, I propose a two-part research project to first verify a correlation between stroke severity and elevated NET concentration and second evaluate the association of medical and surgical treatment failure and radiographic findings with NETs. I will measure the concentration of Citrullinated histone H3 (H3cit), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), and circulating myeloperoxidase-DNA complexes (MPO-DNA) at the time of stroke presentation and I will collect data from the medical record to assess clinical and radiographic stroke severity.