IRF5 and stroke disorder: Downregulation of IRF5 signaling by interfering RNA (siRNA) in cultured primary microglia or conditional knockout (CKO) in a mouse model caused increased IRF4 expression and reduced pro-inflammatory responses, thereby leading to enhanced M2 activation and improved functional recovery, whereas downregulation of IRF4 resulted in increased IRF5 expression, enhanced pro-inflammatory responses, and worse stroke outcomes [154,155].