HMGB1 and ischemic stroke: HMGB1 is released in large quantities during acute injury induced by excitotoxicity and is the main upstream inflammatory mediator within the neurovascular unit in ischemic stroke during the hyper-acute(within 24 h post-stroke) and acute phase (especially within 4–5 days post-stroke), exacerbating neuronal death and disruption of the blood–brain barrier.