The restricted ability of most proteins and peptides to cross the blood-brain barrier and/or plasma membrane limits their use as therapeutics following cerebral ischaemia. However, the discovery of cell-penetrating peptides has provided a means by which such molecules can be transported across the blood-brain barrier and plasma membrane. Many proteins/peptides have already been shown to have neuroprotective properties, and, due to their ability to block protein-protein interactions, provide a potentially rich source of new therapeutic compounds to prevent cell death following cerebral ischaemia. In this review, we give an overview of cell-penetrating peptides and their use experimentally to deliver neuroprotectant proteins/peptides into the brain following cerebral ischaemia.