CD4+ T cells in Ischemic Stroke: Effects and Therapeutic Targets

Zhengqi Lian ¹ Ying Luo ² Yina Li ¹ YiKun Gao ¹ Xiaoxing Xiong ^3* Lijuan Gu ^1*

• ¹ Central Laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
• ² Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
• ³ Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a major cause of disability and death globally, with limited therapeutic options beyond early intervention. Recent studies have highlighted the critical role of CD4 + T cells throughout the procession of IS, providing new insights into immunomodulatory strategies.This review describes the spatiotemporal dynamics of CD4 + T cells and their subsets at different stages of IS. The signaling pathways activated by IS regulate the distribution of CD4 + T cells and their subsets, which further influences the inflammatory response and disease progression. In the acute and subacute stages, CD4 + T cells exacerbate neuronal damage. In contrast, CD4 + T cells, which are predominantly composed of Tregs, promote tissue repair and neurological recovery in CD4 + T cells and their subsets in IS will contribute to disease management and drug development, thereby improving the quality of life of IS patients.