Background and Purpose-Inflammation and thrombosis are pathophysiological hallmarks of ischemic stroke still unamenable to therapeutic interventions. The contact-kinin system represents an interface between inflammatory and thrombotic circuits and is involved in stroke development. C1-inhibitor counteracts activation of the contact-kinin system at multiple levels. We investigated the therapeutic potential of C1-inhibitor in models of ischemic stroke. Methods-Male and female C57Bl/6 mice and rats of different ages were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion and treated with C1-inhibitor after 1 hour or 6 hours. Infarct volumes and functional outcomes were assessed between day 1 and day 7, and findings were validated by magnetic resonance imaging. Blood-brain barrier damage, thrombus formation, and the local inflammatory response were determined poststroke. Results-Treatment with 15.0 U C1-inhibitor, but not 7.5 U, 1 hour after stroke reduced infarct volumes by Ϸ60% and improved clinical scores in mice of either sex on day 1. This protective effect was preserved at later stages of infarction as well as in elderly mice and in another species, ie, rats. Delayed C1-inhibitor treatment still improved clinical outcome. Blood-brain barrier damage, edema formation, and inflammation were significantly lower compared with controls. Moreover, C1-inhibitor showed strong antithrombotic effects. Conclusions-C1-inhibitor is a multifaceted antiinflammatory and antithrombotic compound that protects from ischemic neurodegeneration in clinically meaningful settings. (Stroke. 2012;43:2457-2467.)Key Words: blood-brain barrier Ⅲ C1-inhibitor Ⅲ inflammation Ⅲ kallikrein-kinin system Ⅲ middle cerebral artery occlusion Ⅲ thrombosis T he pathology of brain ischemia-reperfusion injury is complex and involves a myriad of distinct molecular and cellular pathways. Among these inflammation is one of the most relevant processes. 1,2 Activation of the cerebral endothelium early after the ischemic event triggers upregulation of cellular adhesion molecules and successive trafficking of inflammatory cells (neutrophils, macrophages, T cells) from the circulation into the brain parenchyma. Those cells recruited from the periphery in concert with locally activated cell populations (endothelial cells, microglia, astrocytes) produce an array of highly active mediators such as cytokines and chemokines that perpetuate the inflammatory circuits, thereby causing direct or indirect tissue damage. Another characteristic of persisting ischemia is structural disintegration of the blood-brain barrier, which in consequence leads to the formation of brain edema. 3,4 Excessive edema can harm otherwise healthy brain regions by mechanical compression and is a frequent cause of worsening of neurological symptoms in stroke patients. Until now, convincing pharmacological strategies to combat inflammation or edema formation in acute ischemic stroke are lacking. 5 Current pathophysiological concepts also emphasize the importance of progressive thrombus formation...