Pharmacological manipulation of AhR activation has also been shown to modulate neuronal damage due to transient cerebral artery occlusion in vivo (Fig. 1A)10,11; however, although it was demonstrated that early inhibition of AhR conferred neuroprotection in ischaemic stroke, whether inhibition was effective at later time points has not been revealed. The gene discussed is AHR; the disease is cerebral artery occlusion.