Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved medication, which functions as a serine protease to dissolve clots,7,8 and has been shown to promote brain plasticity through epidermal growth factor receptor signaling that leads to longer-term functional improvement.9 However, in routine clinical practice, only 11% of patients are eligible to receive r-tPA due to the limited time window after stroke, a moderate recanalization rate, and other clinical contraindications. This evidence concerns the gene PLAT and Stroke.