MRI 1 day after stroke verified the ischemic lesions and ensured that only mice with homogenous lesions of approximately equal size were randomized into the different treatment groups (average lesion size 27.3 ± 5.1 mm3 in OPN-treated mice, and 27.4 ± 4.2 mm3 in control animals, p = 0.989). Here, SPP1 is linked to stroke disorder.