IMAJ | volume
Journal 11, November 2006
pages: 788-792
Summary
Acute ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and chronic disability in the western world. Yet, despite the enormous socioeconomic burden that it imposes, therapies to combat AIS are not widely available. Moreover, revascularization of the ischemic tissue with tissue plasminogen activator, the only FDA-approved therapy for AIS[1], is hampered by a very narrow therapeutic time window and is only used in a minority of patients. Cerebral ischemia leads to brain damage caused by several pathologic mechanisms that can potentially be blocked by neuroprotective drugs that aim to salvage the ischemic penumbra. However, despite numerous clinical trials no single drug candidate has proved efficacious in AIS. The current situation clearly calls for novel therapeutic strategies to be used in acute ischemic stroke. This review surveys some of these novel and promising cutting edge therapies.
[1] AIS = acute ischemic stroke