Carotid artery stenosis is an important cause of ischemic stroke, and its mechanism is mainly associated with the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Head and neck radiotherapy may accelerate plaque formation, leading to carotid artery stenosis. In addition, radiotherapy can also cause the damage to the intima and adventitia of blood vessels, exacerbating the degree of carotid artery stenosis. This carotid artery stenosis caused by radiotherapy is different from atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis in etiology, pathogenesis, prevention and treatment. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the pathogenic mechanism is crucial for selecting appropriate prevention and treatment methods.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are immature endothelial cells that can proliferate and differentiate into mature endothelial cells. After vascular injury, EPCs migrate from the bone marrow to the ischemic area, participating in damaged endothelial repair and neovascularization, providing a new potential therapeutic approach for vascular diseases including ischemic stroke. This article reviews the feasibility and limitations of EPCs as potential therapeutic targets for ischemic stroke.

The glymphatic system is a unique network of the central nervous system that facilitates the removal of metabolic waste from the brain and maintains homeostasis.The glymphatic system is relatively active during sleep,and its physiological function is affected by many factors.The application of non-invasive imaging techniques to evaluate the function of the glymphatic system has promoted the development of clinical studies.More and more studies have demonstrated the association between the function of glymphatic system and the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases,cerebrovascular diseases and other central nervous system diseases.The glymphatic system is expected to become a novel target for predicting prognosis of central nervous system diseases and clinical effects.