REVIEW article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Neurogenesis
Deciphering the Disease Ecosystem of Ischemic Stroke via Multi-Omics and Prospects for Therapeutic Strategies
Provisionally accepted
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
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Ischemic stroke (IS) remains a leading cause of disability due to the translational failure of single-target therapies, underscoring the limitations of the traditional neuron-centric view. This review proposes a paradigm shift by conceptualizing IS as a dynamically evolving “disease ecosystem.” We integrate multi-omics evidence to delineate five interconnected core features—cellular identity collapse, inflammatory-reparative imbalance, neurovascular unit disintegration, brain-peripheral immune miscommunication, and extracellular matrix scarring—that form a pathological logic axis driving disease progression. Based on this systemic understanding, we advance the novel therapeutic strategy of “ecosystem engineering,” which emphasizes temporally adaptive, spatially precise, and network-coordinated interventions. This framework aims to overcome current therapeutic bottlenecks and usher in a new era of precision neural repair.
Keywords: brain-peripheral immune axis, cellular identity collapse, disease ecosystem, Ischemic cerebral infarction, neurovascular unit
Received: 05 Nov 2025; Accepted: 28 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Zhang, Wang, Niu, Zhao, Wang and Shi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Shuai Shi
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