title: The High Cost of Stroke and Stroke Cytoprotection Research.
abstract: Acute ischemic stroke is inadequately treated in the USA and worldwide due to a lengthy history of neuroprotective drug failures in clinical trials. The majority of victims must endure life-long disabilities that not only affect their livelihood, but also have an enormous societal economic impact. The rapid development of a neuroprotective or cytoprotective compound would allow future stroke victims to receive a treatment to reduce disabilities and further promote recovery of function. This opinion article reviews in detail the enormous costs associated with developing a small molecule to treat stroke, as well as providing a timely overview of the cell-death time-course and relationship to the ischemic cascade. Distinct temporal patterns of cell-death of neurovascular unit components provide opportunities to intervene and optimize new cytoprotective strategies. However, adequate research funding is mandatory to allow stroke researchers to develop and test their novel therapeutic approach to treat stroke victims.
authors.affiliation: Director of Translational Research, Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion, Suite 8305, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA. Paul.Lapchak@cshs.org.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lapchak
authors.affiliation: Director, Center for Neuroscience Research, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, 11175 Campus St, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA.
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019610:Cytoprotection; D006801:Humans; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents
keywords: Animal research; Brain; Cell-death cascade; Clinical trial; Cost; Cytoprotection; Cytoprotective; Drug discovery; Hemorrhage; ICH; NIHSS; Neuroprotection; Neuroprotective; RIGOR; SAH; STAIR; Stroke; Translational; Transparency; rt-PA