Stroke Preconditioning to Identify Endogenous Protective or Regenerative Mechanisms

Many neuroprotectants have shown effectiveness by reducing infarction and improving neurologic functions in animal models of stroke, but few of these neuroprotectants have been successful in clinical scenario. In clinical trials, pharmacological agents have shown to be either ineffective or have potential adverse effects. Consequently, efforts have been directed toward understanding and enhancing the endogenous protective mechanisms by which the brain protects itself against noxious stimuli in an attempt to recover from the damage encountered. Preconditioning-induced ischemic tolerance is an effective approach to understand how the brain protects itself. In this chapter, we summarize the development of preconditioning followed by discussion of various stimuli that can induce brain preconditioning and the downstream signaling pathways involved in preconditioning-induced protection. Specifically, we discuss the potential clinical application of preconditioning for brain injuries such as stroke.