BAK1 and Stroke: Secondly, administration of G-CSF showed that an increase in Beclin 1, LC3 I & II, CHOP and Bax was prevented in the frontal and middle brain of BCAO stroke model indicating that G-CSF can decrease autophagy (down regulation of Beclin 1) and apoptosis both in mitochondrial Ca2 + −induced apoptosis (up-regulation of BCL-2/Bax and down-regulation of Bak) and ER- induced apoptosis (down-regulation of CHOP).