The Role of the Complement Cascade in Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury: Implications for Neuroprotection

Abstract

The temporal and mechanistic overlap of the complement cascade with other biochemical events occurring in cerebral I/R injury is quite complex and is only beginning to be understood. However, there is compelling evidence that complement is quite active in the setting of acute stroke, suggesting that anticomplement strategies should be further investigated through genetic analysis, nonhuman primate models, and clinical investigations.