In ischemic stroke, HK2 influences microglial metabolic reprogramming and inflammatory modulation: dexmedetomidine (DEX) pretreatment upregulates HK2, enhancing glycolytic flux and oxidative phosphorylation, which sustains microglial phagocytic capacity and promotes an anti-inflammatory phenotype (Zhang et al., 2025). This evidence concerns the gene HK2 and ischemic stroke.