Spatial transcriptomics reveals complementary stroke protection by ginseng saponins
Researchers at Zhejiang University have identified that saponins from ginseng and notoginseng provide neuroprotective benefits against ischemic stroke through distinct biological pathways. The study used spatial transcriptomics to map how these traditional medicines affect specific brain regions.
Why it matters
This research provides a scientific basis for traditional medicine and offers potential new therapeutic targets for stroke recovery.
Overview of the Spatial-seq 2.0 workflow and quality control of spatial transcriptomic data.
Ischemic stroke accounts for approximately 85% of all strokes and remains a major cause of death and long-term disability. Current treatments can restore blood flow in eligible patients, but therapeutic options remain limited, particularly for protecting threatened brain tissue and supporting recovery. P. notoginseng and P. ginseng have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine and are commonly associated with "activating blood" and "replenishing qi," respectively. Modern studies have reported anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic effects for their saponins. However, conventional bulk and single-cell analyses cannot fully show where drug-induced molecular changes occur within the spatially heterogeneous brain, leaving the regional differences between these treatments insufficiently understood.
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