Crosstalk of lipids and inflammation in atherosclerosis: the PRO of PGRN?

摘要

Atherosclerosis is recognized as a chronic inflammatory process that accelerates in the context of high cholesterol levels.1 The unique aspect of atherosclerosis, over other inflammatory diseases, is the major effect of the cholesterol environment. There is accumulating evidence that lipids can influence inflammatory responses and vice versa, but so far the lipid and inflammatory components that initiate atherosclerotic disease have mainly been studied as two separate pathogenic entities. Elucidation of the functional denominators that link immune activation and derailed cholesterol metabolism may facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat atherosclerosis.