Ischemic stroke is characterized by high incidence, high mortality, and high disability and is the primary cause of death and disability among adults in China. Endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) are a group of cells that have the potential to self-renew and differentiate into functional nerve cells. Under normal circumstances, NSCs are in a quiet state. When the body is subjected to specific stimulation or injury, NSCs can be activated, proliferate, migrate to the damaged site, and differentiate into functional nerve cells to repair the injured tissue. NSCs induced by ischemic stimulation have limited regenerative capacity and cannot completely restore damaged tissues. Exogenous NSC transplantation has some effect. However, it is limited by the low survival rate of transplanted NSCs, immune rejection, ethics, and risk of tumor formation. Therefore, it is necessary to study fur- ther the strategies and mechanisms of endogenous NSC activation to promote nerve function repair after stroke. This article reviews recent advancements in drug therapy, hypoxic/ischemic conditioning, Chinese medicine, and rehabilitation strategies for NSC treatment. Furthermore, it explores new strategies and mechanisms developed recently, offering innovative plans and ideas to enhance clinical stroke treatment.

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare condition that can be fatal in severe cases. The limited occurrence of CVT poses challenges in conducting randomized controlled trials, leading to uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in specific subgroups of patients with CVT. Currently, a growing body of new evidence has been published on various aspects of CVT diagnosis and treatment, including studies on prognosis assessment scales and EVT therapy. Anticoagulation remains the primary treatment during the acute phase of CVT, as demonstrated by the thrombolysis or anticoagulation for cerebral venous thrombosis (TO-ACT) clinical trial. This study revealed that EVT combined with standard medical care did not improve functional outcomes for patients with severe CVT. Several risk screening scores have been developed to predict CVT prognosis, and some of these scales have been shown to perform adequately. The question of whether EVT is beneficial for patients with CVT, and to which subgroups of patients it should be offered, still remains unsettled. Large global research collaborations should be established to address current challenges and facilitate the execution of clinical trials.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a small vessel disease of the brain characterized by the progressive deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in the walls of cerebral blood vessels. It presents with a subtle course and sudden onset, and currently, there are no specific therapeutic interventions available. Accurate diagnosis of CAA could enable targeted interventions in the early stages of the disease, potentially mitigating the disease’s effects. Herein, we review the primary imaging biomarkers used in the diagnosis of CAA, including their mechanisms, imaging characteristics, and significance. We also provide an interpretation of the latest version (v2.0) of the Boston criteria, which are commonly used in the clinical diagnosis of CAA. Additionally, this study introduces various positron emission tomography (PET) tracers for CAA and reviews their application values in the diagnosis of CAA.

Single-cell transcriptome sequencing has been a rapidly developing and powerful biological tool in recent years, and it plays a vital role in describing tissue development, cell heterogeneity, stress response, etc. Cerebrovascular disease is one of the leading causes affecting human health in the world. Thus, it is important to understand the characteristics of cerebrovascular structure, function, and environmental response. Notably, single-cell transcriptome sequencing provides deeper insights into cerebrovascular research in health and disease states. This article will briefly introduce the basic structure and function of cerebrovascular endothelial cells (ECs), summarize the current research and new findings on cerebrovascular ECs at the single-cell transcriptome level, and discuss the challenges in this field.

Objective: To systematically review the etiology of anterior choroidal artery (AChA) infarction. Methods: A systematic literature search up to May 11, 2024, for AChA infarction with its etiology. Epidemiologic and clinical data of patients, anatomic distribution of the lesions, and etiologic classification of AChA infarction were extracted. Results: A total of 1 007 individual patient data was included (967 from retrospective clinical studies and 40 from case reports). Among the clinical research, patients’ mean age was 64.7. There were 62.24% of male and 37.76% of female patients. Hypertension (66.04%) was the most common risk factor for patients with AChA infarction. Dyslipidemia (32.92%), diabetes mellitus (30.93%), and smoking (26.54%) were also common risk factors. Moreover, the posterior limb of the internal capsule was the most frequently affected structure. Undetermined etiology (n =173, 38.02%), according to the trial of org 10172 in acute stroke treatment (TOAST) etiological classification, was the most common etiology, followed by small vessel disease (n =117, 25.71%), large artery atherosclerosis (n =84, 18.46%), and cardioembolism (n =63, 13.85%). Furthermore, eighteen strokes were caused by other determined etiologies (3.96%). Conclusions: Undetermined etiology was the most common etiology of AChA infarction. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and smoking were common risk factors for patients with AChA infarction. It is necessary to prevent the risk factors.