Growth factors and stroke.

Current options for the treatment of stroke are extremely limited, partly because of the rapidity with which brain cells die when deprived of their blood supply. Several recent studies suggest that growth factors can produce improvement in animal models of stroke, even when administered at postischemic intervals of many hours to days, when conventional neuroprotective approaches are typically futile. Several growth factors can access the brain after systemic administration, making them more attractive as therapeutic agents. Finally, growth factors are key mediators of neurogenesis in the adult brain, which could have a role in brain repair and functional recovery following stroke.