Introduction: The immune central nervous system (CNS) innate immune cells including microglia and macrophages play integral roles in receiving and propagating inflammatory signals. Inflammation is generally a beneficial response of an organism to infection but, when prolonged or inappropriate, it can be detrimental. Neuronal loss in acute (e.g. stroke and head injury) and chronic (e.g. multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease) CNS diseases has been associated with inflammatory processes systemically and in the brain.
Development: Herein we review the processes that participate in the activation of the immune system and the starting of inflammatory response after stroke, where neuronal necrotic cell death has been described. We addressed the relevance of the innate inflammatory cells that are on the CNS, as microglia and macrophages, which have an important role in receiving and spreading inflammatory signals. In addition, the inflammatory response is characterized by an increase in the levels of expression of inflammatory mediators, which regulate adhesion molecules, and increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. It has also been described that inflammation promotes the rapid over-expression and activation of a variety of genes, and it has been postulated that transcription factors should be studied for their potential use in therapeutics and repair. Transcriptional activation can be a double-edged sword since depending on the individual transcription factor it can induce the expression of either neuroprotective or neurotoxic genes.
Conclusion: In summary, a better understanding of the different molecules mediating the immune response will allow the design of new pharmacological tools that could improve stroke treatment.