Reviving Neuroprotection Using a New Approach

The quest to develop an effective neuroprotective agent for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has never been more bleak. Hundreds of neuroprotective drugs have been shown to salvage ischemic brain tissue but none have been shown to reproducibly improve outcome when administered to AIS patients. The graveyard of drugs that looked promising in animal studies that later failed in clinical trials continues to grow, with the latest results of AXIS II showing no benefit in patients treated with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. In the wake of yet another clinical study testing a drug that, compared with prior agents, had more rigorous and reproducible preclinical evidence supporting a robust effect in animal stroke models, why should we maintain hope that neuroprotection is feasible in patients with ischemic stroke? The results of a recent study published in Nature by Mike Tymianski’s group may provide a lifeline to rejuvenate the field.