Minocycline is an antibiotic from the tetracycline family. In addition to its antibacterial effects, minocycline has other properties that are quite interesting. It decreases inflammation and has been used with variable success to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

In animal studies, minocycline has been shown to help protect brain and nerve cells from damage in diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

To see if minocycline might help protect brain cells from permanent damage in people with an acute stroke, researchers designed a study in humans. The findings of this small study were reported in the medical journal Neurology in October 2007.

The researchers enrolled 151 patients who had suffered a stroke within the prior six to 24 hours. They gave 200 milligrams of minocycline daily to 74 patients; the other 77 patients received a placebo. Both groups were treated for just five days.

During the first month following the stroke, the patients who received minocycline scored better on tests that reflect functional recovery compared to those who received the placebo.

While this is encouraging, a much larger study needs to prove that minocycline offers advantages over current stroke treatment and that the drug is safe in this setting.