A groundbreaking study in mice has shown how the molecule, named Activin A, goes into damaged areas of the brain where it switches off inflammation which then triggers the "repair" process.
Dr. Bryce Vissel says the discovery had added to medical science's emerging understanding of how the brain could heal itself following an acute injury, like a stroke.
It also points to a potential new treatment for long-term degenerative brain conditions -- like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and dementia -- where this healing process was known to fail.
"In the last 10 years, it has become very clear that the brain has the capacity to repair and regenerate itself," said Dr. Vissel, of Sydney's The Garvan Institute of Medical Research.
"We know specifically that there are stem cells in the brain ... which are able to replace nerve cells that die.
"But if the brain has this capacity for repair and regeneration why isn't it occurring in neuro-degenerative disease, why isn't it fixing itself?"
Dr. Vissel's research suggests these people have lost the ability to switch off the inflammation, meaning the brain's ability to regenerate is also stalled.
