CSF3 and stroke disorder: Based on the promising results, namely that EPO in combination with G-CSF exerted synergistic effects on tissue plasticity and functional recovery in an experimental stroke model [30], we firstly designed an exploratory study to prepare and expand a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of EPO+G-CSF combination therapy in chronic stroke patients who had lower risks of treatments than patients in the acute or subacute stage.