The stroke pharmacopeia: promising experimental therapies

The development of promising acute stroke treatments is the fruit of the growing appreciation for the complex biochemical processes within neuronal tissue that commence immediately after the onset of ischemia. These biochemical cascades can be modified either by direct pharmacologic mitigation or by rapid restoration of perfusion and oxygenation. With both interventions, the ischemic tissue can remain viable and regain neurologic function rather than progress to infarction. Today the two major pharmacologic approaches to stroke therapy are neuroprotectants and thrombolytics. Neuroprotectants enable neuronal tissues to tolerate periods of minimal perfusion better, whereas thrombolytics facilitate reperfusion by disrupting the fresh thrombus. Important classes of neuroprotectants include calcium channel antagonists, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, benzothiazoles, and free radical scavengers. Pro-urokinase is a potentially important investigational thrombolytic. Ancrod, a defibrinogenating agent, is also currently being evaluated in acute stroke.