Neuroprotective agents for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury
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Updated: Apr 4, 2026
Early Pathological and Magnetic Resonance Detection of Cerebral Injury Using a Rat Model of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
Published on: October 28, 2022
Qiaofeng Wu1, Wu Chen2, Bharati Sinha3
1Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Acupuncture and Moxibustion College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610091, China.
Insights
Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in newborns is a serious concern. This review explores neuroprotective agents targeting different injury phases, bridging animal studies and clinical applications for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (H-I) brain injury is a leading cause of infant mortality and long-term disability.
- Understanding the complex pathophysiology of H-I injury is crucial for developing effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review neuroprotective agents investigated in animal models and pilot clinical studies for neonatal H-I brain injury.
- To analyze agents targeting distinct phases of H-I injury, including early excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and late-phase inflammation and repair.
- To bridge the gap between preclinical findings and potential clinical translation for H-I encephalopathy.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of literature on neuroprotective agents for neonatal H-I brain injury.
- Analysis of studies focusing on different phases of H-I injury (early and late).
- Examination of cell survival and cell death pathways modulated by these agents.
Main Results:
- Various neuroprotective agents show promise in preclinical and early clinical investigations.
- Agents target critical pathways such as excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and neural repair.
- The review categorizes agents based on the phase of H-I injury they address.
Conclusions:
- Neuroprotective strategies targeting specific phases of neonatal H-I brain injury are under active investigation.
- Further research is needed to translate promising preclinical findings into effective clinical treatments for H-I encephalopathy.
- A comprehensive understanding of targeted pathways is essential for advancing therapeutic options.
Abstract:
Hypoxic-ischemic (H-I) brain injury in newborns is a major cause of morbidity and mortality that claims thousands of lives each year. In this review, we summarize the promising neuroprotective agents tested on animal models and pilot clinical studies of neonatal H-I brain injury according to the different phases of the disease. These agents target various phases of injury including the early phase of excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and apoptosis as well as late-phase inflammatory reaction and neural repair. We analyze the cell survival and cell death pathways modified by these agents in neonatal H-I brain injury. We aim to 'build a bridge' between animal trials of neuroprotective agents and potential candidate treatments for future clinical applications against H-I encephalopathy.
