Study and treatment of brain ischemic-reperfusion injury

Abstract

Ischemic stroke, caused by impaired blood flow to the brain, remains one of the medical conditions associated with high mortality and long-term disability. Ischemia followed by recanalization of the occluded vessel (via thrombolysis or thrombectomy) triggers a cascade of biochemical events in the affected brain regions, resulting in ischemia-reperfusion injury and neuronal death. Conventional treatment of ischemic stroke, involving the use of antithrombotic and neuroprotective agents, is not always sufficiently effective or safe. Regenerative medicine, particularly stem cell transplantation, has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Numerous experimental studies, along with some clinical trials, have investigated various types of stem cells. Stem cell–based therapy holds the potential to develop more effective and comprehensive strategies targeting neuroregeneration in the ischemia-damaged brain. This review aims to provide an updated perspective on acute cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, with particular emphasis on the underlying pathogenesis and morphological changes in both the ischemic core and penumbra, as well as the therapeutic prospects of stem cell–based interventions for cerebroprotection in acute ischemic stroke.