Evolutionary concept of inflammatory response and stroke.

The immune system plays an important role under both physiological and pathological conditions. Immune surveillance as well as defense and healing processes are crucial for the organism, but the immune system has a natural tendency to act aggressively when excessively stimulated. We may assume that the immune system is not designed to deal with severe conditions, such as polytrauma or severe stroke, because these are not compatible with life in the wilderness and evolution has no chance to act in such cases. These conditions are associated with exaggerated/deregulated inflammatory response, which may cause more damage than initial pathology. In this article, we would like to sketch a basic concept of the immune system-brain interactions from the evolutionary point of view and to discuss some implications related to stroke.