Rational Basis for Clinical Translation in Stroke Therapy

Stroke remains one of the major causes of death and long-term disability worldwide. Currently, the only approved therapy for the acute treatment of this disease is thrombolysis, a strategy that can only be applied to a small percentage of patients due to its narrow therapeutic window. Unfortunately, during the last years numerous promising drugs that showed neuroprotection in the experimental setting failed to translate into the clinic because of their toxicity or lack of efficacy. Researchers in the field now face the crucial need to develop effective stroke therapies and successfully translate novel strategies into the clinical setting. Rational Basis for Clinical Translation in Stroke Therapy presents the most recent promising preclinical approaches and the most updated clinical evidence for treating stroke patients. By bringing together the experience of accomplished stroke researchers and clinicians, the book is a useful tool for improving the treatment and management of stroke patients. The book describes current approaches for the management of stroke patients including thrombolysis and mechanical recanalization procedures as well as other clinically relevant topics such as diagnosis, imaging, risk factors, and prevention. Also described are emerging interventions based on the use of stem cells, botulinum toxin, and antidepressants which complement emergency stroke treatment and conventional rehabilitation procedures. Clinical approaches are integrated with the most promising therapeutic opportunities based on targeting the immune system, hypothermia, and postconditioning. The book also covers issues related to the improvement of R&D strategies in stroke therapeutics, aimed at the implementation of preclinical approaches with stroke model guidelines and at the optimization of clinical trial design. This volume is a reference for all those interested in the rational development of novel stroke therapeutics.