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A Thrombotic Stroke Model Based On Transient Cerebral Hypoxia-ischemia
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Pyroptosis in Ischemic Stroke: Roles, Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Strategies
Tingting Qi1, Zhen Xiao1, Yufeng Peng2
1The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, PR China.
Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience
|January 14, 2026
Summary
Pyroptosis, a programmed cell death pathway, significantly contributes to secondary brain injury after ischemic stroke. Targeting pyroptosis offers a promising therapeutic strategy for neurovascular recovery.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Ischemic stroke causes significant neurological disability and mortality.
- Traditional models of apoptosis and necrosis inadequately explain inflammation-driven secondary brain injury.
- Pyroptosis is an emerging, targetable cell death pathway crucial in ischemic stroke pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the mechanistic role of pyroptosis in ischemic stroke.
- To integrate pyroptosis with other cell death pathways (apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis) into a unified PANoptotic model.
- To highlight upstream regulators and therapeutic targets for pyroptosis in stroke.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of pyroptosis mechanisms in ischemic stroke.
- Analysis of canonical and noncanonical inflammasome pathways.
- Examination of upstream regulators like mitochondrial ROS, STING, and LCN2.
- Review of preclinical pharmacological interventions targeting pyroptosis.
Main Results:
- Pyroptosis, involving NLRP3 and caspase-1/4/5/11 inflammasomes, drives neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier disruption.
- Upstream regulators coordinate oxidative stress with inflammatory signaling.
- Inhibition of inflammasomes, caspases, or gasdermins reduces inflammatory cytokine release and protects neurovascular integrity in preclinical models.
- Pyroptosis is identified as a therapeutically tractable target.
Conclusions:
- Pyroptosis is a key driver of secondary brain injury in ischemic stroke.
- Pharmacological inhibition of pyroptosis shows therapeutic potential in preclinical stroke models.
- Future research should focus on temporal-cellular specificity and clinical translation using advanced techniques like single-cell multi-omics and nanocarrier delivery.
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