Brain angiogenesis after stroke

Abstract

Stroke remains a major health problem worldwide, and is the leading cause of serious long-term disability. Although many advances have been made in terms of the basic molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal death, clinically effective neuroprotective drugs in stroke have not yet been discovered. Recent findings now suggest that strategies to enhance angiogenesis after focal cerebral ischemia may provide unique opportunities to improve clinical outcomes during stroke recovery. This chapter aims at summarizing current knowledge on mechanisms and potential targets for angiogenic therapies in brain after stroke. Crosstalk between cerebral endothelial cells and their neighboring cells may provide substrates for plasticity and remodeling in the recovering brain. A better understanding of the molecular interplay between all these complex pathways may lead to novel therapeutic approaches for this devastating disease.