Elucidating the thromboinflammatory role of platelets in ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot occluding a cerebral blood vessel. As the brain is highly dependent on a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients, the culprit clot needs to be removed as soon as possible to restore blood flow and protect the brain from further damage. However, despite significant improvement of treatment guidelines, reperfusion therapy is only available to approximately 10% of ischemic stroke patients. Moreover, although recanalization of the occluded cerebral artery is essential to salvage the threatened ischemic brain, reperfusion of the ischemic brain itself can also exacerbate tissue damage by a phenomenon called ‘reperfusion injury’. Hence, there clearly exists a pressing demand for innovative strategies to improve stroke treatment.

Recently, it has become clear that both thrombotic and inflammatory pathways contribute to the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. Additionally, emerging insights indicate an important link between these thrombotic and inflammatory pathways in stroke, which led to the concept of thromboinflammation. The main objective of this research proposal is to dissect new mechanisms of thromboinflammation in ischemic stroke, and identify novel therapeutic avenues for ischemic stroke. Successful results can open the door to larger translational and clinical studies. Better acute stroke treatments would have a tremendous impact on the direct physical health and the overall quality of life of many ischemic stroke patients.