Office of Technology Management
Using NMDA Receptor
Antagonists to Reduce Damage Due to Laser Surgery
Summary:
University
of Texas faculty have developed a patented method of preventing the spread
of damage to neuronal tissue burned by surgical laser treatment through
the administration of an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blocker such
as dexthorphan. This permits the site of the laser burn to be confined
more precisely and prevents spread of damage to surrounding tissue that
would normally occur in the days after the laser treatment.
Virtually
any cellular injury in the nervous system, including a laser burn, can
lead to a loss of the integrity of intracellular storage pools of glutamate.
This glutamate release causes surrounding neurons to be more susceptible
to glutamate depolarization through NMDA receptors, causing massive influx
of sodium and potassium, ionic imbalances, eventual cell death and the
release of even more glutamate. This domino effect causes the spread
of injury beyond the initial site. Administration of NDMA receptor
blockers, like dextrorphan, inhibits glutamate binding to the receptors
and suppresses this chain reaction which causes the spreading of tissue
injury.
Technology Status:
This
patent is available for licensing from UT-Houston Health Science Center.
Patent Status:
Patent
No. 5,013,540
Dianna
Redburn, Ph.D.