Breaking the barrier in stroke: what should we know? A mini-review.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been considered as an important regulator of brain homeostasis, and its disturbance has been implicated in the onset and/or evolution of many pathological manifestations of neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases [1, 2]. In particular, BBB breakdown has been closely associated with the primary insult, as well as the secondary cell death of stroke. Here, we review the pioneering contributions of leading scientists who have vested interest in advancing our understanding of the pivotal role of BBB in stroke, but also exploiting this knowledge in developing novel BBB-based therapeutic regimens to abrogate stroke symptoms. The study of BBB as a fundamental research theme and as a target for clinical applications in stroke can be approached in three main themes namely, basic science research, translational and clinical research, and emerging therapies for BBB repair in stroke. This minireview captures cutting-edge discoveries establishing BBB as a central target for abetting neuroprotection and neurorestoration in stroke.