ESOC 2022 | Targeting IL-6 signaling in ischemic stroke

Marios K. Georgakis, MD, PhD, Mass General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA & LMU Munich University Hospital, Munich, Germany, discusses the role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) signaling in ischemic stroke. IL-6 is well recognized as a central cytokine involved in the development and progression of atherosclerotic lesions: the underlying cause of most large-artery atherosclerotic strokes. IL-6 signaling has also been linked to plaque destabilization and adverse outcomes in the setting of acute ischemia. Dr Georgakis highlights research into IL-6-targeted therapeutic strategies in other disorders, such as the anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibody ziltivekimab in patients with chronic kidney disease and atherosclerosis, and how these approaches could be translated to the stroke field. This interview took place at European Stroke Organisation Conference 2022 in Lyon, France.