Cerebral ischemia is a deadly condition that arises due to blockage of the blood vessels in the brain leading to
oxygen deficiency thereby arresting brain functions and resulting in death or permanent impairment. Though a myriad of factors has been proposed to cause
cerebral ischemia, it has been generally regarded as an old age-associated malady. However, unhealthy diet, stressful lifestyle and deteriorating environment quality has dramatically reduced the age on onset as well as the number of victims in recent years. Hence, there exists a need for prompt and effective therapeutic strategies for immediate as well as long-term damage control and maintenance of the functions of the brain, as well as early and accurate diagnosis of the risk of
stroke or extent of damage after
stroke. The physiological barriers further complicate the development of therapeutic and diagnostic interventions for
cerebral stroke. The advent of nanotechnology has initiated new vistas for more effective and superior therapeutic and imaging modalities for management of
cerebral ischemia. This review provides an overview on the current knowledge on the mechanism and causative factors of
cerebral ischemia, drawbacks of conventional
therapy as well as molecular targets that are being explored for
stroke therapy. The review also discusses in detail the advances made using nano-interventions for
therapy and imaging of
stroke-affected regions along with their pros and cons. Emergent multi-functional nanoparticles for
stroke management have also been reviewed.