Hypoxia-inducible factor: A new hope to counteract stroke

Abstract

Stroke is a major health problem and a leading cause of death and disability. Past research aimed to develop therapeutic strategies that prevent neuronal death and improve recovery. Yet, few successful therapeutic strategies have emerged. Recent findings demonstrated that the induction of the hypoxia signaling pathway of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) could mediate neuroprotective events. HIF-1 has been suggested to be an important player in neurological outcomes following ischemic stroke due to the functions of its downstream genes and implicated in both cellular protection and cell death in cerebral ischemia according to the duration and severity of ischemic injury. Therefore, HIF-1 has become an attractive target to counteract stroke. Here, we highlight the multifaceted role of HIF in stroke and some of the recently developed drugs that disrupt the HIF-1 signaling pathway which may provide potent leads for stroke therapy.