Pictured is inflammation induced by ischemic stroke injury, spanning all the layers of the cerebral cortex in a 3-month-old female mouse brain. The lesion border is demarcated by C3aR labeling (green), while the area surrounding the lesion is populated by Iba1-labeled microglia (red). Cell nuclei are stained with DAPI (blue). Taasin Srivastava et al. used this technique to uncover the role of proteoglycan TNF-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) in a mechanism thought to underlie inflammation following stroke that involves modifications to the extracellular matrix. They found that TSG-6-dependent pro-inflammatory mechanisms drive age- and sex-dependent stroke injury responses. See the article by Srivastava et al. for more information. Cover image: Taasin Srivastava.