Andrew Pieper, University of Iowa (IMAGE) University of Iowa Health Care Caption Andrew Pieper, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry, neurology, and radiation oncology at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, led a study showing that a new class of compounds, given orally, protects brain cells from the damage caused by blast-induced traumatic brain injury (TBI) and preserves normal brain functions, even when the compound is given 24 to 36 hours after the injury occurs. The researchers hope that this family of compounds might be developed into a new class of neuroprotective drugs for TBI and other currently untreatable forms of neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer's disease and ALS. The findings were published online Sept. 11 in Cell Reports. Credit University of Iowa Department of Psychiatry Usage Restrictions For news media or educational use only License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.