Cellular targets of brain inflammation in stroke.

Ischemia elicits an inflammatory response in the injured brain that is mediated by various factors, leading to the accumulation of inflammatory cells. These cells, in turn, generate both toxic and reparative substances. The inflammatory reaction, which has a rapid onset and continues after the stroke, is thought to acutely contribute to the evolution of tissue injury. Knowledge of these signaling pathways has led to the identification of a variety of therapeutic targets for stroke treatment, particularly during the reperfusion phase. Whether these targets will be useful in the development of therapies for the treatment of stroke in humans is far from clear, but they provide fertile ground for scientific investigation.