Lay summary
Traumatic brain injuries are a major cause of long-term disability in New Zealand. A key cause of symptoms after such injuries is the build-up of waste in the brain when its natural clearance systems stop working. Normally, the brain removes waste through drainage pathways in the surrounding brain-border tissues, but this process fails after injury. Our research aims to understand why this happens and how to restore waste removal. We will use advanced models—including human brain-border cells and mice—to study how scar-like changes in the tissues surrounding the brain block this clearance. We will also test drugs already approved for use in humans for other conditions, to see if they can prevent this harmful scarring. Because these drugs are already in clinical use, positive results could be rapidly translated to patient care. This work may lead to new treatments to improve recovery and reduce disability after brain injury.