Related Experiment Videos
Animal models of focal and global cerebral ischemia
1Department of Anesthesiology/Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Insights
Choosing the right animal models is key for developing effective therapies for brain injury from stroke and cardiac arrest. This review details various models, highlighting their pros and cons for research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Translational Medicine
- Animal Models
Background:
- Cerebral ischemia, including stroke and cardiac arrest, is a leading cause of death and disability globally.
- These conditions represent significant healthcare burdens, necessitating effective therapeutic strategies.
- Understanding injury mechanisms and neuroprotection is crucial for developing new treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and compare various small and large animal models of focal and global cerebral ischemia.
- To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each model for studying ischemia and neuroprotection.
- To aid researchers in selecting appropriate models for preclinical therapeutic evaluations.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review of existing animal models for cerebral ischemia.
- Categorization of models into focal (stroke) and global (cardiac arrest) types.
- Analysis of model utility based on relevance to human disease and research objectives.
Main Results:
- Numerous animal models exist for studying focal and global cerebral ischemia.
- Each model possesses unique advantages and limitations regarding reproducibility, cost, and translatability.
- Model selection significantly impacts the interpretation of injury mechanisms and therapeutic efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Appropriate animal models are indispensable for predicting therapeutic outcomes in human cerebral ischemia.
- A thorough understanding of model characteristics is vital for advancing neuroprotection research.
- Careful selection of animal models will accelerate the development of effective treatments for stroke and cardiac arrest.
Abstract:
The use of appropriate animal models is essential to predict the value and effect of therapeutic approaches in human subjects. Focal (stroke) and global (cardiac arrest) cerebral ischemia represents diseases that are common in the human population. Stroke and cardiac arrest, which are major causes of death and disability, affect millions of individuals around the world and are responsible for the leading health care costs of all diseases. Understanding the mechanisms of injury and neuroprotection in these diseases is critical if we are ever to learn new target sites to treat ischemia. There are many animal models available to investigate injury mechanisms and neuroprotective strategies. This review summarizes many (but not all) small and large animal models of focal and global cerebral ischemia and discusses their advantages and disadvantages.