Melatonin and Nitrones As Potential Therapeutic Agents for Stroke.

Abstract

Stroke is a disease of aging affecting millions of people worldwide, and recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-tPA) is the only treatment approved. However, r-tPA has a low therapeutic window and secondary effects which limit its beneficial outcome, urging thus the search for new more efficient therapies . Among them, neuroprotection based on melatonin or nitrones, as free radical traps, have arisen as drug candidates due to their strong antioxidant power . In this Perspective article, an update on the specific results of the melatonin and several new nitrones are presented.