Neuroprotective strategies for acute ischemic stroke: recent progress and future perspectives

Abstract

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and most common cause of disability in adult. Despite of recent advances in the recanalization therapy for acute ischemic stroke, the need for neuroprotectants is substantial, to extend the window for recanali-zation therapy and to prevent neuronal death by ischemic brain injury or by reperfusion injury after successful therapy. Herein, the possible reasons for the failure of neuropro-tectants trials during the past two decades and current status of neuroprotective strate-gies for acute ischemic stroke are discussed. This review will also address the recent ad-vances and future perspectives in preclinical and clinical trials of neuroprotective agents, including the efforts of high quality of transition of preclinical results to clinical trial, genetic studies to trigger neuroprotectants development, application of neuropro-tectants at optimal time and duration after stroke, adjuvant approaches, and biomark-er-based triage.