Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.7
4.8
Journals
Pharmaceuticals
Special Issues
Ischemic Stroke: Current and Emerging Treatment Strategies
share announcement

Ischemic Stroke: Current and Emerging Treatment Strategies

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2026 | Viewed by 1937

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mikahela A. López-Morales

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Unidad Mixta de Investigación Cerebrovascular, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
2. Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidad de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Interests: stroke; neuroprotection; cellular senescence
Dr. Macarena Hernández-Jiménez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: stroke; cerebroprotection; childhood stroke; clinical trials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, with no effective neuroprotective treatments available beyond specialized care in the stroke unit. Recanalization through thrombolysis and/or mechanical thrombectomy has been shown to improve clinical outcomes for approximately 30% of patients with acute ischemic stroke. However, only about 15% of stroke patients meet the criteria for these treatments and, among those who do achieve successful recanalization, approximately 70% continue to experience significant disabilities or die.

This Special Issue aims to explore novel pharmacological therapies for ischemic stroke that target alternative pathophysiological mechanisms beyond reperfusion.

Authors are invited to submit original research and review articles on preclinical and clinical findings that contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of stroke as potential therapeutic targets. The proposed topics include neuroprotective agents, stem cell therapies, immune and inflammatory modulation, and innovations in rehabilitation and neurorepair.

We look forward to your valuable contribution.

Dr. Mikahela A. López-Morales
Dr. Macarena Hernández-Jiménez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ischemic stroke
  • cerebrovascular disease
  • neuroprotection
  • neurorepair
  • pharmacotherapy
  • therapeutic approaches

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

14 pages, 4273 KB  
Article
The Senolytic Drug Navitoclax Protects the Brain After Experimental Ischemic Stroke
by Dianoush Falahatgaroshibi, Júlia Baixauli-Martín, María C. Burguete, Mikahela A. López-Morales, Alicia Aliena-Valero, José E. Peris and Juan B. Salom
Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19(3), 431; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19030431 - 6 Mar 2026
Viewed by 862
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Senescence has been recently described in brain cells following ischemic stroke. The potential of targeting senescence as an effective therapeutic approach in the treatment of ischemic stroke requires further investigation. This study evaluated the effects of the senolytic drug navitoclax after [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Senescence has been recently described in brain cells following ischemic stroke. The potential of targeting senescence as an effective therapeutic approach in the treatment of ischemic stroke requires further investigation. This study evaluated the effects of the senolytic drug navitoclax after experimental ischemic stroke. Methods: Navitoclax was injected into male young Wistar rats at doses of 10 and 30 mg/kg (i.p.). to evaluate its pharmacokinetics, cerebral levels and potential to cause thrombocytopenia. Subsequently, a second group of rats underwent 60 min of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Navitoclax (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle was injected every other day between days 3 and 13 after tMCAO. Neurofunctional performance, infarct size, and senescence markers were assessed on day 14. Results: Navitoclax (10 mg/kg) administration resulted in a maximum plasma concentration of 0.702 mg/L and half-life of 11.33 h. Additionally, a brain concentration of 0.04 ± 0.02 µg/g was detected. Moderate thrombocytopenia was induced by 10 mg/kg, and to a greater extent by 30 mg/kg. Navitoclax (6 × 10 mg/kg) improved neurofunctional impairment, as indicated by significant decrease by 66% in the total time for the tape removal test, and significantly reduced infarct area by 52% when compared to vehicle. Moreover, navitoclax significantly reduced levels of SA-β-gal (by 80%), lipofuscin (by 91%), and Checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2; by 69%) in the ischemic hemisphere. Conclusions: Navitoclax protects the brain after ischemic stroke by improving neurofunctional outcome and reducing infarct size, which is associated with reducing senescence markers. Although moderate thrombocytopenia warrants caution, targeting senescence emerges as a promising therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ischemic Stroke: Current and Emerging Treatment Strategies)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

11 pages, 1228 KB  
Article
Exploration of the Preventive and Therapeutic Effects of D-Lactate Administration in a Mouse MCAO Model
by Seyedeh Maryam Mousavi, Lara Buscemi, Julia Castillo-González, Melanie Price and Lorenz Hirt
Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19(3), 410; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19030410 - 2 Mar 2026
Viewed by 549
Abstract
Background: Stroke is a major global risk to human health due to its high incidence, mortality, and prevalence of associated long-term disabilities. Recent studies have highlighted a significant impact of the gut–brain axis and metabolites derived from intestinal microbiota on modulating neurological [...] Read more.
Background: Stroke is a major global risk to human health due to its high incidence, mortality, and prevalence of associated long-term disabilities. Recent studies have highlighted a significant impact of the gut–brain axis and metabolites derived from intestinal microbiota on modulating neurological disorders, including stroke. Methods: In this study, we investigated the effects of pre- and post-treatment with D-lactate, a lactate stereoisomer mainly produced by certain gut bacteria, on stroke outcome using a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model. For this purpose, male C57BL/6J mice received a single administration of D-lactate or vehicle (PBS) via the tail vein either before the MCAO surgery, as a preventive approach, or upon reperfusion, as a therapeutic paradigm. Functional outcome was assessed daily using a standard neuroscore and the adhesive removal test until day three post-surgery, when mice were sacrificed. Results: Our results indicated no significant difference in infarct size, measured using cresyl violet staining, between the D-lactate and PBS groups in both pre- and post-treatment experiments. In addition, evaluation of neurological deficits and sensorimotor function showed no statistically significant differences between the interventions throughout the experiment. Conclusions: The present data suggest that treatment with D-lactate does not show a beneficial effect in our C57BL/6J mouse MCAO model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ischemic Stroke: Current and Emerging Treatment Strategies)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop