Early life supplementation with Lysoveta may be a promising strategy to reduce neonatal brain injury
LYSOVETA™, a novel dietary supplement for targeted delivery of LPC-EPA/DHA derived from krill, was deemed an effective oral supplement in delivering protection against neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, according to a recent study out of Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
Supplementing with Aker BioMarine’s brain health ingredient, LYSOVETA™, was evaluated by scientists from Utrecht University Medical Center as a possible strategy to protect against brain damage and myelin loss due to hypoxia-ischemia (HI) (lack of oxygen and reduced blood flow) during the neonatal phase of life.
The scientists concluded that short-term, oral supplementation with LYSOVETA provided neuroprotection against neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in mice.
Perinatal asphyxia is a major cause of hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury in newborn babies. Neonatal HI brain injury is a significant contributor to various lifelong health challenges and can result in neonatal mortality. Current treatment offers only partial protection and there is an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies to combat HI injury. Nutritional supplementation, which is safe and can be easily integrated into clinical practice, emerges as such a novel treatment option.
“Neonatal brain injury has been shown to reduce the amount of DHA in the brain, and the hypothesis is that nutritional supplementation with DHA could help reduce this deficiency and hence the risk of brain injury. Considering that the EPA and DHA in LYSOVETA is part of a specific molecular structure (LPC) leading to accumulation of DHA in the brain, we believe that it holds great potential to mitigate brain injury, which we now see evidenced through this recent study,” says Line Johnsen, SVP Human Health Ingredients R&D, Aker BioMarine.
Key take-aways from the study:
- The study investigates the efficacy of Lysoveta in providing neuroprotection against neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury in mice.
- Both gray matter and white matter loss were significantly reduced in the neonatal mice supplemented with Lysoveta.
- The study results show potential neuroprotective effects by mitigating oxidative stress injury caused by HI.
- The study found that Lysoveta does not enhance the effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy for HI brain injury.
- No functional improvements were observed following a short-term (7 days) dose of LYSOVETA supplementation. This may be explained by a less optimal treatment dose, timing, or duration. A more optimal treatment regime could be investigated in a follow-up study.
LYSOVETA: a promising strategy for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury
“In summary, this study suggests that early-life nutritional supplementation with Lysoveta may be a promising strategy to reduce neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury by protecting against neuronal damage and myelin loss associated with oxidative stress-induced injuries. We also see a need to further study LYSOVETA’s effects, looking into treatment doses, timing, and duration of treatment to obtain the most beneficial treatment regime,” says Dr. Caroline de Theije.
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