Dear Colleagues,

Stroke is an acute onset disturbance of cerebral function due to ischemia or hemorrhage. Ischemic stroke is the 3rd leading cause of mortality globally and the number one cause of disability. Two approaches have been pursued to reduce the disease burden of stroke—neuroprotection and reperfusion. Current research is intensively searching for novel therapeutic strategies and is increasingly focusing on the sub-acute and chronic phases after stroke because more patients might be eligible for therapeutic interventions in a prolonged time window. These delayed mechanisms include important pathophysiological pathways such as post-stroke inflammation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, neuronal plasticity, and regeneration. In order to analyze these mechanisms and subsequently evaluate novel drug targets, experimental stroke models with clinical relevance, low mortality, and high reproducibility are sought after. Among these models, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) using an intraluminal filament has been the most widely used because it achieves minimally invasive injury, is easy to perform, and results in reproducible infarct lesions. In this Special Issue, we welcome research articles and reviews on the molecular pathways involved in ischemic stroke.

Dr. Roberta Fusco
Guest Editor

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• ischemic stroke
• middle cerebral artery occlusion
• in vivo model
• molecular pathway
• apoptosis
• oxidative stress
• inflammation