AGER and stroke disorder: Similarly, exogenous EPC transplantation promotes the regeneration of blood vessels in the ischemic region during the chronic phase of stroke, reduces the volume of brain atrophy, and improves neurological function, mainly through the involvement of HMGB1-RAGE initiated MAPK kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) pathway (Hayakawa et al., 2012).