New developments in the treatment of ischemia/reperfusion injury

Currently, the treatment of reperfusion following ischemia is primarily supportive. Preventative measures may help in combating the occurrence of ischemia, but minimizing the secondary damage that occurs with the onset of reperfusion would improve outcomes. In this review, using a Medline search, we have outlined the current knowledge with respect to the pathophysiology of this disease process and focused primarily on the basic science investigations of drugs, including natural therapies, which have shown potential. It is becoming increasingly clear that no one method or drug is the magic elixir that solely treats reperfusion injury due to the complex and interconnected processes involved.