Drug Development and Emerging Pharmacotherapies in Stroke Management
A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmacology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 421
Special Issue Editors
Interests: stroke treatment; neurology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Stroke remains a leading cause of death and long-term disability worldwide. Despite advances in reperfusion strategies, pharmacological innovation has been comparatively stagnant for years, while stroke incidence is increasing and post-stroke disability remains substantial. There is a pressing need for new, mechanism-driven pharmacotherapies that not only optimize acute outcomes but also prevent and treat chronic sequelae, including post-stroke depression, cognitive decline/dementia, motor dysfunctions and spasticity.
This Special Issue invites contributions that span preclinical and clinical translational pipelines, consistent with the journal’s scope in drug discovery, pharmacology, and therapeutics. We particularly welcome studies that provide rigorous experimental evidence in relevant models and human systems, demonstrate translational readiness through pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD), target engagement, or biomarker strategy, and evaluate clinical feasibility and efficacy in early- and late-phase trials.
This Special Issue welcomes both original research articles and reviews, aiming to achieve the following:
- Showcase novel pharmacological targets and modalities in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke (e.g., neuroprotection adjunctive to reperfusion, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agents, cerebrovascular/endothelial stabilizers, blood–brain barrier modulators, pro-repair/regenerative strategies, advanced drug-delivery systems).
- Bridge bench-to-bedside translation, highlighting robust design features (age/comorbidity-relevant models, multicenter replication, reproducibility practices), biomarker-driven patient selection, and adaptive/innovative trial methodologies.
- Address the full continuum of stroke care, prioritizing interventions aimed at preventing or mitigating chronic consequences (depression, cognitive impairment/dementia, spasticity, fatigue) and enhancing recovery via neuroplasticity and circuit-level remodeling.
Dr. Federica Ferrari
Dr. Pengyu Zong
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- brain ischemic stroke
- cerebral hemorrhage
- drug discovery
- neuroprotection
- immunomodulation
- blood–brain barrier
- drug delivery
- biomarkers
- neurorepair
- post-stroke depression/dementia/spasticity
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