Conditioning Strategies Limit Cellular Injury?

Evaluation of multiorgan protection strategies against ischemic injury in humans is essential to improve quality of life and reduce mortality. Over the past 40 years a host of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions have been evaluated with the aim of limiting cell damage produced by ischemia-reperfusion injury. Different conditioning strategies, such as remote conditioning, are documented to mitigate ischemic injury in animal and human studies and may have remarkable clinical promise. However, successful clinical application of these interventions remains questionable since protection is known to be compromised in humans with comorbidities either with or without medications. Regardless, ongoing studies continue to examine the underlying mechanisms involved in this endogenous cytoprotective phenomenon to further its successful implementation in the clinical setting. In this review, we examine recent findings in support of remote conditioning stratagems for organ protection and their relevance for translation to clinical use.