CTE is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain linked to repetitive head trauma. It is most frequently seen in athletes and combat soldiers. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found CTE in 99% of brains obtained from autopsies of National Football League (NFL) players, as well as 91% of those from college football players and 21% of those from high school football players (Mez, et al. 2017). It has also been shown that CTE involves formation of extensive tau aggregate deposits, the same deposits seen in other neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Preclinical studies have shown that ST266 attenuates the neurodegeneration and inflammation of penetrating ballistic brain injuries, a model of gunshot wounds and other open-head traumatic brain injuries (Deng-Bryant, et al. 2015). As many of the same pathways are involved in closed-head traumatic brain injuries, it is hoped these findings will translate into similar positive effects in CTE.