TNFSF11 and ischemic stroke: Both RANKL and RANK are expressed in activated microglia and macrophages (M/M) of ischemic brain tissue, and enhancement of the RANKL/RANK signal using recombinant RANKL (rRANKL) has been shown to reduce ischemic injury in mice6; this indicated that rRANKL could potentially be used as a therapeutic agent for treating ischemic stroke.