Stroke Pharmaceutical R&D Services

One-Stop Shop for Stroke Drug Development and Preclinical Studies

Our services include the advancement of basic stroke research, experimental modeling and preclinical drug studies, providing researchers with a comprehensive platform to develop new therapies.

What Are the Current Pain Points in Stroke Drug Development?

Acute ischemic stroke treatments are limited and ineffective.
Lack of fast-acting medications for post-stroke depression (PSD) and anxiety (PSA).
Multicenter structure leads to heterogeneity in preclinical studies.
Uncertainty about stem cell therapy in stroke treatment.
Lack of validated biomarkers.
Blood-brain barrier penetration challenges, where drugs need to overcome the blood-brain barrier to effectively reach brain lesions.
Drug toxicity and safety issues.

These pain points suggest that despite some promising research and drug candidates, stroke drug development still faces significant challenges and requires further research and innovation to overcome existing barriers.

Comprehensive Animal Models for Stroke Research

Ace Therapeutics provides customized stroke models across a diverse range of animal species, including mice, rats, dogs, pigs, and non-human primates. Our models are designed to enable the in vivo evaluation of efficacy, toxicity, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of investigational drugs targeting stroke.

Mouse Models

Transient MCAO (tMCAO) in mouse
Permanent MCAO (pMCAO) in mouse
Photochemically-induced stroke mouse model

Rat Models

Transient MCAO (tMCAO) in rat
Permanent MCAO (pMCAO) in rat
Photochemically-induced rat stroke model
Endothelin-1 (ET-1) induced ischemia stroke in rat

NHP Models

ET-1 induced MCAO model in NHPs
Cynomolgus MCAO model
Rhesus monkeys endovascular stroke model

Porcine Models

Porcine ischemic stroke model

Canine Models

Canine pMCAO model

Explore Our Models

Advantages of Our Stroke Model

Reliability Our model depicts the most accurate and up-to-date representations of the human stroke state.
Precision Our outcome tests designed specifically for stroke animal models can precisely assess critical aspects of the stroke state such as mood, cognition, sensorimotor deficits, learning and memory function.
Quality Rigorous post-operative care protocols that maximize survival and increase the extent and duration of deficits

Stroke Pathophysiology & Mechanistic Insights

Understanding stroke pathophysiology is essential for identifying therapeutic targets, validating drug mechanisms, and evaluating preclinical outcomes. Ace Therapeutics provides a comprehensive platform for mechanistic studies that reveal the molecular, cellular, and systemic processes underlying stroke.

Key Pathogenic Mechanisms	Solutions
Neuroinflammation & Immune Response	Cytokine/chemokine profiling (multiplex assays, ELISA, qPCR) Immune cell infiltration analysis (flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry) Microglial and astrocytic activation markers
Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Integrity	Evans Blue / fluorescent tracer permeability assays Tight junction protein expression (claudin-5, occludin, ZO-1) In vitro BBB disruption and recovery models
Cell Death Pathways	Apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and autophagy markers Caspase activity assays, TUNEL staining, mitochondrial assays
Excitotoxicity and Oxidative Stress	Glutamate excitotoxicity measurements ROS quantification, antioxidant enzyme activity Mitochondrial dysfunction and calcium overload assays
Vascular Pathophysiology	Endothelial dysfunction and angiogenesis markers Thrombosis and coagulation factor analysis Cerebrovascular reactivity (in vivo imaging and Doppler flowmetry)
Neuroregeneration and Plasticity	Neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity markers (BDNF, GAP-43, synaptophysin) White matter repair and remyelination studies Axonal sprouting and functional recovery assessment

Customized Biospecimen Collection and Analysis

Biospecimens are of irreplaceable importance in stroke research and provide critical support for understanding disease mechanisms and developing new therapies. Ace Therapeutics offers biospecimen collection and analysis services to meet the needs of research institutions and pharmaceutical companies for their stroke research programs.

Whole blood, plasma, serum, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), feces, urine, brain tissue
Longitudinal sample collection in stroke models
Multiparametric analysis (hematologic, biochemical, molecular)
Biobanking with full traceability and metadata capture
RNA, DNA, and protein extraction optimized for hematologic samples

By integrating genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, we help our clients to systematically reflect the complex pathophysiological processes of ischemic stroke, which helps to improve the accuracy of early diagnosis. For example, mass spectrometry has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in the discovery of metabolic and protein biomarkers associated with stroke, helping to reveal the metabolic changes in stroke.

Biomarker Discovery and Validation in Stroke

Robust biomarkers are critical for advancing stroke research and therapeutic development. At Ace Therapeutics, we are committed to developing stroke biomarkers to support mechanism of action, pharmacodynamic, prognostic and predictive preclinical studies throughout all phases of stroke drug development.

Biomarker Categories We Focus On

Stroke-Related Protein Biomarkers	S100 calcium binding protein B (S-100B), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), myelin basic protein (MBP), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)
Stroke-Related RNA Biomarkers	ARG1, LY96, MMP9, CCR7, INPP5D, ITA4, NAV1, CREM, PELI1, ZAK, CD46, CCL2, IL8, LAG3, HLA-DQA1
Stroke-Related Metabolite Biomarkers	Glutamate, glutamine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, homocysteine, methionine, tryptophan, aspartate, alanine, proline, pyroglutamate
Stroke-Related Lipid Biomarkers	Triglyceride-to-high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, lipoprotein (a), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol
Stroke Biomarker Panels	In stroke, biomarker groups can provide information about atherosclerosis, thrombosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial damage, blood-brain barrier disruption, and cerebral ischemia.

Comprehensive Drug Development Solutions for Stroke

Ace Therapeutics provides fully integrated, end-to-end preclinical research services to accelerate the development of novel therapeutics for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. From early-stage screening to preclinical evaluation, we combine robust in vitro and in vivo modeling platforms, advanced imaging, PK/PD evaluation, biomarker analysis, and customized study design to meet our clients' needs.

In Vitro Experiment

Organotypic brain slice cultures
Immortalized cell lines
Primary cells
iPSC-derived neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia
Neural organoids

Pharmacodynamic Studies

Safety Pharmacology Studies

General Toxicology
Neurotoxicity Testing
Genetic Toxicology
Safety Pharmacology
Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology
Carcinogenicity Testing

Animal Experimentation

Pharmacokinetic Studies

Therapeutic Modalities for Stroke Drug Development

With deep expertise in discovery informatics, computational chemistry, molecular modeling, medicinal chemistry, structural biology, in vitro and in vivo pharmacology, and translational science in the field of stroke, Ace Therapeutics provides end-to-end support for stroke drug development. With one-stop services from target discovery and validation to preclinical evaluation, we aim to accelerate our clients' stroke therapy development programs.

By Drug Modality

Small Molecule Drugs for Stroke	Antiplatelet Drugs Small Molecule Anticoagulant Drugs PPARgamma Agonists Erythropoietin Mimetics Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) Inhibitors Blood Glutamate Scavengers Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP) Inhibitors Antioxidants Endothelin Receptor Type B Agonists
Neuroprotective Peptides	Interfering Peptides Arginine-Rich Peptides Blood-Brain Barrier Shuttle Peptides Synthetic Peptides
Monoclonal Antibodies for Stroke	Anti-Myelin-Associated Protein Antibodies Anti-GluN1 Antibodies Anti-Cell Adhesion Molecule and Anti-Cytokine Antibodies
Stem Cell-Based Therapy	Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Therapies Neural Stem Cell Therapies

By Drug Action

Neuroprotective Agents Against Stroke	Glutamate Receptor Antagonists Free-radical Scavengers and Antioxidants Calcium Channel Blockers Sodium Channel Blockers Anti-inflammatory Stroke Therapies GABA Receptor Agonists Magnesium Therapies C-Jun N-terminal Kinase Inhibitors Small Molecule Erythropoietin Mimetics PPAR Agonists Blood Glutamate Scavengers PSD-95 Inhibitors Endothelin Receptor Agonists Albumin Therapies Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors Signal Transduction Modulators
Stroke Thrombolytics	Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator (t-PA) Mimetics Urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator (u-PA) Mimetics Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) Monoclonal Antibody Targeting Alpha-2 Antiplasmin (a2-AP)
Anticoagulant Drugs for Stroke	Heparins Heparinoids Oral anticoagulant Drugs Blood Coagulation Pathway Inhibitors (e.g., Coagulation Factor XIa Inhibitors) Monoclonal Antibody Targeting Alpha-2 Antiplasmin (a2-AP)
Antiplatelet Therapies for Stroke	M2 Macrophage Polarization Inducers K(ir) 6.2/SUR1 Blockers Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin-1 (TRPA1) Agonists Platelet Adhesion Inhibitors Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors Adenosine Receptor Antagonists Platelet Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Antagonists

CNS-Targeted Drug Delivery Platforms for Stroke Therapeutics

Crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and achieving targeted drug distribution are major hurdles in stroke therapy development. At Ace Therapeutics, we provide drug delivery system development services designed to optimize CNS penetration, sustain therapeutic exposure, and improve translational success.

Our Capabilities

Blood-Brain Barrier Targeting

Receptor-mediated transport (RMT) platforms for biologics and peptides
Nanoparticle-based carriers for small molecules and RNA therapeutics
Intranasal drug delivery system development

Formulation Development

Injectable formulations (IV, IP, IA, intranasal)
Controlled-release and sustained-delivery systems
Liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, exosomes

Evaluation Platforms

In vitro BBB models for penetration and transport assessment
In vivo PK/PD profiling in rodents and large animals
Biodistribution analysis (fluorescence, PET/SPECT, LC-MS/MS)
Functional outcome correlation with delivery efficiency

Subscribe for More Information on Stroke Research

Whether you want to learn about advances in new drug development, pharmacodynamic modeling and evaluation, rapid-acting drug development, stroke mechanisms and treatment strategies, or stroke emergency and prevention research on stroke, subscribe to us.

Our Advantages

Professionals

Deep expertise and experience in vascular research and development.
Well-equipped

Our fully equipped laboratories have comprehensive capabilities from initial screening to candidate selection.
Customization

Flexible approach with easy access to our global network of specialized laboratories. State-of-the-art technology provides you with a fully customized service.
After Sales Service

Solving any problems or concerns that customers may have and ensuring the proper functioning of the product or service.

Customers Often Look For

FAQs

How to Construct an In Vitro Model of the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)?

The construction of in vitro models of the BBB usually involves cells of different species, including human brain microvascular endothelial cell lines (e.g., hCMEC/D3), and primary cerebrovascular endothelial cells from rats and mice. These cells can be cultured alone or co-cultured with other cell types (e.g. astrocytes, pericytes) to mimic the structure and function of the BBB in vivo. The co-culture model enables better expression of tight junction proteins (e.g., Claudin-5 and ZO-1) and increased trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER), thus more closely approximating the properties of the BBB in vivo.

Can You Customize Stroke Models to Fit My Therapeutic Mechanism of Action (MoA)?

Yes. We provide tailored model selection and experimental design, including ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke types, treatment windows, and endpoints aligned with your compound’s MoA.

What Are the Available Laboratory Animals?

Non-human primates (NHP), rodents, rabbits, pigs, dogs.

What Are the Available Animal Models of Ischemic Stroke?

Four-vessel occlusion (4-VO) model, two-vessel occlusion (2-VO) model, complete global brain ischemia models, endovascular filament model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model by transcranial electrocoagulation, embolic stroke models, endothelin-1 (ET-1) induced ischemic stroke model, photothrombotic stroke model.

How Do You Evaluate BBB Penetration and CNS Exposure?

We integrate in vitro BBB-on-a-chip assays, in vivo PK profiling (CSF/plasma ratios), brain microdialysis, and receptor occupancy studies to comprehensively evaluate BBB penetration.

What Types of Endpoints Can You Provide in Efficacy Studies?

A: We deliver multimodal endpoints, including behavioral/neurological scoring, imaging (MRI/CT), histopathology, blood biomarkers, and omics-based readouts.

Additional Links and Resources

Ace Therapeutics is a global leading provider of stroke research services. We are committed to accelerating progress in stroke research and drug development.

Quick Links

Home Pharmaceutical R&D Services Therapeutic Areas Resources

About us Contact us Careers