In brief

Abstract

An exciting new possibility for stroke prevention comes from a recent study demonstrating that a vaccine that suppresses inflammation inside blood vessels significantly reduces the frequency and severity of strokes in spontaneously hypertensive, genetically stroke-prone rats. Stroke, the most common cause of disability in adults, arises from interruption of the brain's blood supply by either thrombosis or haemorrhage. Current strategies for its treatment have limited success, and rely predominantly on reducing clot formation, or limiting risk factors (including hypertension). However, inflammatory and immune mechanisms are thought to contribute to cerebrovascular accidents in humans, and the current study explored the possibility that tolerance to a relevant antigen (in this case E-selectin, which is specifically expressed on activated endothelium) might suppress local vessel activation and prevent stroke.