Rationale and aim

About half of the patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) remains dependent or dies in the first 90 days. We hypothesise that treatment with acyl-ghrelin will improve early recovery and long-term functional outcome in these patients. Ghrelin is a naturally occurring hormone and mildly excitatory neurotransmitter that improved functional, histological, and cytological recovery in in vitro and in vivo ischemia-reperfusion models. Acyl-ghrelin (i.e., the bioactive form) has demonstrated safety in a range of populations, including patients with cardiovascular or neurodegenerative disease.