An increase in intracellular free Ca2+ is also known to occur in acute neurodegenerative conditions such as ischemic stroke and spinal cord injury.45, 46, 47, 48 In preliminary studies, we found that cdr2 levels were decreased in a rodent ischemic stroke model established by middle cerebral artery occlusion and a contusion spinal cord injury model (data not shown), suggesting that cdr2 may be degraded by activated calpain during both acute and chronic neurodegeneration. The gene discussed is CDR2; the disease is ischemic stroke.