We see the warnings everywhere – act FAST when you spot the signs of stroke. But what if the symptoms are not as obvious as the acronym? Catching stroke early is vital to preventing further cell death and neurological damage – but the lack of rapid, accessible testing makes it difficult for healthcare professionals to diagnose minor strokes.

A blood biomarker test could avoid these delays and prompt time-sensitive treatment – but requires markers specific to brain damage. Recognizing this need, researchers at Case Western Reserve University studied patterns of gene expression in tissue samples from both body and brain (1). Up to 50 potential blood biomarkers specific to neurological damage were identified, including many that had not previously been explored. The team hope their findings will open up new routes for stroke biomarker research and aid the development of a blood-based test.

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