title: Improving the translation of animal ischemic stroke studies to humans.
abstract: Despite testing more than 1,026 therapeutic strategies in models of ischemic stroke and 114 therapies in human ischemic stroke, only one agent tissue plasminogen activator has successfully been translated to clinical practice as a treatment for acute stroke. Though disappointing, this immense body of work has led to a rethinking of animal stroke models and how to better translate therapies to patients with ischemic stroke. Several recommendations have been made, including the STAIR recommendations and statements of RIGOR from the NIH/NINDS. In this commentary we discuss additional aspects that may be important to improve the translational success of ischemic stroke therapies. These include use of tissue plasminogen activator in animal studies; modeling ischemic stroke heterogeneity in terms of infarct size and cause of human stroke; addressing the confounding effect of anesthesia; use of comparable therapeutic dosage between humans and animals based on biological effect; modeling the human immune system; and developing outcome measures in animals comparable to those used in human stroke trials. With additional study and improved animal modeling of factors involved in human ischemic stroke, we are optimistic that new stroke therapies will be developed.
authors: Department of Neurology, MIND Institute Wet Labs Room 2415, University of California at Davis Medical Center, 2805 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA, gcjickling@ucdavis.edu.
authors: Glen C
authors: GC
authors: Jickling
authors: Frank R
authors: FR
authors: Sharp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D013045:Species Specificity; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical
chemical_list: D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator