Promoting brain remodeling to aid in stroke recovery

• miRNAs mediate neurovascular remodeling processes after stroke.
• HDACs are implicated in the process of stroke-induced remodeling of axons and myelin.
• Exosomes regulate intercellular communication in neurovascular remodeling.
• Exosomes as vehicles to deliver biological materials amplify brain restorative events.

Endogenous brain repair after stroke involves a set of highly interactive processes, such as angiogenesis, neurogenesis, oligodendrogenesis, synaptogenesis, and axonal outgrowth, which together orchestrate neurological recovery. During the past several years, there have been advances in our understanding of miRNAs and histone deacetylases (HDACs) in brain repair processes after stroke. Emerging data indicate the important role of exosomes for intercellular communication in promoting coupled brain remodeling processes. These advances will likely have a major impact on the development of restorative therapies for ischemic brain repair, consequently leading to improvement of neurological function. In this review, we provide an update on our current understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms of miRNAs, exosomes, and HDACs in brain restorative processes after stroke.