Chapter 14: Testing and Mechanisms of Neuroprotective Agents for Cerebral Ischemic Injury in Clinical Trials, 2010–2016

Neuroprotective agents are drugs, outside of those used to re-establish perfusion to an infarcted region of the brain, that aim to salvage or protect vulnerable brain tissue during an insult. These drugs are diverse and can act by inhibiting steps in the apoptotic pathway, scavenging damaging species like free radical oxidative species, reducing inflammatory responses, and changing the extracellular environment, among other mechanisms. In this chapter, we will discuss neuroprotective drugs used in recent human clinical trials for acute ischemic stroke, their mechanisms of action, and potential avenues for future research in the discipline of neuroprotection.