Experimental work in ischemic stroke is complicated by the blood brain barrier, which limits flow into and out of the central nervous system.  In the rat, several laboratories have demonstrated that HGF infused directly into the brain using an osmotic minipump, reduces the infarct volume.  Additionally, using standard behavioral measures in the rat, such as the rotarod and the water maze, HGF reduces cognitive deficits.  In another series of studies, HGF-HJV (hemagglutinating virus of Japan) infused into the brain seven days after ischemic stroke, alleviated cognitive deficits, stimulated remyelination and reduced glial scar formation.  The figure shows a compilation of twelve studies, all carried out on rats and mice, demonstrating significant reduction in infarct size.