miR-181 regulates GRP78 and influences outcome from cerebral ischemia in vitro and in vivo

► Reducing miR-181a protects the brain from stroke and neural cells from ischemic stress. ► miR-181 increases in the core but decreases in the penumbra after MCAO. ► Reciprocal expression of miR-181a and GRP78 protein was found. ► GRP78, an essential ER protein, is a target of miR-181. ► miR-181 causes translational arrest of GRP78 mRNA after ischemia.