Thus, to investigate whether uPA-uPAR binding also promotes axonal recovery in vivo in the ischemic brain, we used an animal model in which the stereotaxic injection of endothelin-1 induces a well-defined area of ischemia in the internal capsule (IC), a subcortical structure formed by bundles of axons of pyramidal neurons that project from the cerebral cortex and other structures to the spinal cord, and that is frequently affected in ischemic stroke patients. The gene discussed is PLAU; the disease is ischemic stroke.