The Role of HMGB-1 in Chronic Stroke

Stroke, cerebrovascular accident, is the leading cause of brain injury and the leading cause of permanent disability. The acute pathophysiology of stroke depends on the innate immune response, which arises from mostly pro-inflammatory cascades. The chronic pathophysiology of stroke is less clear as the innate inflammatory response fades and matures into an adaptive immune response. HMGB-1 is a serum cytokine that has been found with persistent elevated levels for weeks to months after neurological insult in preclinical experiments, and may retard functional recovery. Elucidation of the relationship between HMGB-1 levels and the rate of functional recovery after stroke could lead to a better understanding of the systemic inflammatory response and more targeted therapeutic interventions.