Ischemic Stroke, Lessons from the Past towards Effective Preclinical Models.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Ischemic stroke remains a major global health concern, with current treatments focused on reperfusion.
• Mechanical thrombectomy has extended the therapeutic window, but combining it with neuroprotective strategies is the future.
• Nerinetide has shown promise in reducing infarct size and improving outcomes in clinical trials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in in vitro and in vivo stroke models.
• To highlight models that improve the accuracy and effectiveness of therapeutic strategy evaluation.
• To bridge the gap between preclinical research and clinical practice for stroke therapy development.

Main Methods:

• Review of in vitro models, including spheroids and organoids, for high-throughput drug screening.
• Analysis of advancements in in vivo preclinical mouse stroke models.
• Focus on models that mimic clinical realities in surgical procedures, post-surgical care, and functional assessment.

Main Results:

• Novel in vitro models incorporate diverse brain cell types for comprehensive drug screening.
• Enhanced in vivo models more accurately replicate clinical stroke scenarios and patient care.
• These improved models facilitate more reliable preclinical evaluation of neuroprotective agents.

Conclusions:

• Accurate preclinical models are crucial for developing effective stroke therapies.
• Integrating functional outcome assessments in preclinical studies is essential for clinical translation.
• Future stroke treatment likely involves a combination of reperfusion and brain-protective strategies evaluated through advanced models.