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(Stroke. 2009;40:e83.)
© 2009 American Heart Association, Inc.

Comments, Opinions, and Reviews

Insulin-Like Growth Factor I

A Potential Neuroprotective Compound for the Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke?

Ron Kooijman, PhD; Sophie Sarre, PhD; Yvette Michotte, PhD Jacques De Keyser, MD, PhD

From the Departments of Pharmacology (FARC; R.K.), Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis &Drug Information (FASC; S.S., Y.M.), and Neurology (J.D.K.), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.

Correspondence to Ron Kooijman, PhD, Department of Pharmacology (FARC), Free University of Brussels (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium. E-mail ron.kooijman{at}vub.ac.be

Background and Purpose— Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) exerts neuroprotective effects in both white and gray matter under different detrimental conditions. The purpose of this review is to collect the evidence whether IGF-I is a candidate neuroprotective drug in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Results— IGF-I was found to be neuroprotective in animal models of focal brain ischemia when given 2 hours after the insult. Different routes of administration (eg, cerebroventricular, intravenous, and intranasal) were found to be effective. In addition to inhibition of apoptosis and reduction of the infarct volume, IGF-I also improved neurological outcome. Furthermore, there are strong indications that IGF-I can also stimulate the regeneration of neural tissue.

Conclusions— Additional studies are required to reveal the neuroprotective mechanisms of IGF-I in detail and to elucidate the role of IGF-binding proteins. Preclinical studies in relevant animal models for studying stroke (ie, hypertensive, diabetic, or aged animals) should be done testing different doses and routes of IGF-I administration and different combinations of IGF-I and IGF-binding proteins.

Key Words: cerebral stroke • insulin-like growth factor I • ischemia