In a mouse model of cortical ischemic stroke (photothrombotic ischemia, PT), NSPCs in the adult SVZ respond to the distant injury with increased proliferation, formation of doublecortin-positive (DCX +) newborn neuroblasts (type A cells), and redirected migration of these neuroblasts towards the lesion area (Fig. 1a and Supplementary Fig. 1a); however, neurogenic cell replacement in the lesion area is very limited4–7. Here, DCX is linked to ischemia.