The Impact of Thrombo ‐inflammation on the Cerebral Microcirculation

AbstractThe intertwined processes of thrombosis and inflammation (termed ‘thrombo‐inflammation’) are significant drivers of cerebrovascular diseases and as such they represent prime targets for drug discovery programs focusing on treatment and management of cerebrovascular diseases. Most cerebrovascular events result from chronic systemic microcirculatory dysfuncti on due to underlying conditions e.g. hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, dyslipidemia and sickle cell disease. Immune cells especially neutrophils play a critical role in the onset as well as maintenance of neuroinflammatory responses in the microcirculation. Neutrophils have t he ability to drive both inflammatory as well as anti‐inflammatory/pro‐resolution effects depending on the underlying vascular state (physiological vs. pathological). In this article, we highlight the pathophysiological role of neutrophils in stroke and discuss ongoing pharmacotherapeutic strate gies that are focused on identifying potential therapeutic targets for enhancing neuroprotection, mitigating inflammatory pathways and enabling resolution.
Source: Microcirculation - Category: Research Authors: Tags: REVIEW Source Type: research