Title:Inflammasome and Atherogenesis
VOLUME: 20 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):Xinjie Lu and Vijay Kakkar
Affiliation:Thrombosis Research Institute, London, SW3 6LR.
Keywords:Inflammasome, atherosclerosis, atherosgenesis, autophagy, caspase.
Abstract:Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease starting with accumulation of lipids, lipoproteins, and immune cells in the arterial
wall. Inflammation and the innate immune response are involved in the formation of early atherosclerotic lesion. A protein complex
known as the inflammasome is stimulated to activate interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18, which are responsible for activation of inflammatory
processes. Inflammasome-mediated processes are important in the process of atherosclerosis. The front of structure domains as well
as IL-1, and IL-18 stands at the threshold of the adaptive immune response that accelerates full-blown atherosclerotic disease progression.
This review is intended to provide new insights into the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and indicate new potential molecular targets
for therapy of this disease.
