In ischemic stroke models, early exercise training in transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) mice enhances the phagocytic function of microglia by activating the CX3CR1 signaling pathway, clearing apoptotic neuronal debris, and inhibiting acute inflammatory responses mediated by the HMGB1/TLR4 pathway (Zhu et al., 2022). This evidence concerns the gene HMGB1 and ischemic stroke.