Abstract

Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) is implicated in diverse cellular processes such as cell signaling and survival. Accumulating lines of evidence indicate that increased GSK-3β activity contributes to neuronal death and pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. Considering predominant roles of GSK-3β in neuronal apoptosis, modulation of this protein kinase is a reliable strategy for ischemic neuroprotection. In this review, we survey and synthesize the current knowledge about the role of GSK-3β in neuroprotection following the ischemic stroke.

Keywords: Apoptosis, brain, GSK-3β, hypoxia, ischemic stroke, neuronal death.