MMP9 and Stroke: In neuroinflammation/ischemia, contemporary work shows montelukast re-programs microglial activation and improves post-stroke outcomes, a mechanistic context in which MMP-9 is a recognized effector of BBB injury; supporting biological plausibility for indirect MMP-9 attenuation in brain injury models, even when MMP-9 was not a prespecified endpoint [113].