Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2004 Jan;1(1):36-45.
doi: 10.1602/neurorx.1.1.36.

Neuroprotection for ischemic stroke: two decades of success and failure

Yu Dennis Cheng  1 , Lama Al-Khoury, Justin A Zivin
Affiliations
Review

Neuroprotection for ischemic stroke: two decades of success and failure

Yu Dennis Cheng et al. NeuroRx. 2004 Jan.

Abstract

Alteplase (rt-PA) is the first therapy successfully developed for acute stroke therapy. The success of rt-PA spurred development of new avenues for acute stroke management. For the last two decades, a great deal of attention has been paid to neuroprotective therapies. Initial preclinical studies demonstrated numerous drugs are effective for treating acute stroke in animal models; however, subsequent clinical trials have been frustrating, and none of the agents has proven effective. The various outcomes of preclinical and clinical trials have been the subject of much discussion. In this article, we review some key neuroprotective trials and the possible reasons for their failures. By identifying the discrepancies between preclinical studies and clinical trials, we may be able to set guidelines for future effective trials.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. American Stroke Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics–2003 Update. Dallas: American Heart Association, 2003.
    1. Marshall J, Duffin KJ, Green AR, Ridley R. NXY-059, a free radical-trapping agent, substantially lessens the functional disability resulting from cerebral ischemia in a primate species. Stroke 32: 190–198, 2001. - PubMed
    1. Shimizu-Sasamata M, Kano T, Rogowska J, Wolf GL, Moskowitz MA, Lo EH. YM872, a highly water-soluble AMPA receptor antagonist, preserves the hemodynamic penumbra and reduces brain injury after permanent focal ischemia in rats. Stroke 29: 2141–2148, 1998. - PubMed
    1. Lapchak P et al. A novel thrombolytic that improves behavioral outcome after embolic strokes in rabbits. Stroke 33: 2279–2284, 2002. - PubMed
    1. Steen P, Newberg LA, Milde JH, Michenfelder JD. Nimodipine improves cerebral blood flow and neurologic recovery after complete cerebral ischemia in the dog. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 3: 38–43, 1983. - PubMed

Substances