Devil or angel: two roles of carbon monoxide in stroke

Stroke is one of the most important acute diseases that endanger human health and result in death, including acute cerebral hemorrhage and acute cerebral ischemia. Acute onset is its most prominent feature. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless and odorless gas existing at room temperature. It is not only a common air pollutant, but also has been found to be closely related to stroke. A large amount of exogenous CO has an important impact on the incidence and prognosis of stroke, while endogenous CO as a gas signal also has an important impact on neuroprotection after stroke. Both low-dose CO inhalation and CO-releasing molecule-3 (a molecule that emits CO) treatment have shown the benefits of stroke, and perhaps the role of CO in stroke is one of the key areas for future research.