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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Excitotoxic Stimulation of Brain Microslices as an In vitro Model of Stroke
Published on: February 4, 2014
Stroke intervention pathways: NMDA receptors and beyond
Ted Weita Lai1, Woei-Cherng Shyu, Yu Tian Wang
1Brain Research Centre and Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, V6T 2B5.
Abstract:
Despite abundant evidence from basic/preclinical research that excessive NMDAR (N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor) stimulation is a crucial step required for brain damage following a stroke, clinical trials for NMDAR blockers have all ended with disappointments. The past decade of stroke research has revealed distinct NMDAR subpopulations and many specific effectors downstream of these receptors that are differentially responsible for neuronal survival and death. These new advancements provide promising targets for the development of novel NMDAR-based neuroprotective stroke therapies that could have greater therapeutic windows and reduced side effects. In this review, we discuss these advancements with a particular emphasis on the identification of novel signaling effectors downstream of proneuronal death NMDARs and the potential implications of these findings for the development of stroke therapeutics.
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