Abstract
Atherosclerosis is now recognised as a chronic inflammatory disease occurring within the artery wall and ultimately responsible for myocardial infarction, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. A crucial step in atherogenesis is the infiltration of monocytes into the subendothelial space of large arteries where they differentiate into macrophages and become functionally active. Macrophage accumulation within plaques is a hallmark of all stages of atherosclerosis, indeed recent studies have shown their presence has the potential to act as a non-invasive marker of disease activity and plaque stability. Activated macrophages are major players in all stages of lesion development. They not only accumulate lipids but also express effector molecules that are pro-inflammatory, cytotoxic and chemotactic. Furthermore, they secrete enzymes that degrade extracellular matrix leading to plaque destabilisation and increased risk of rupture. However, macrophages are heterogeneous and when appropriately activated they have the potential to drive tissue remodelling and ultimately vascular repair. Pharmacological modulation of macrophage activities therefore represents an important strategy for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis and other inflammatory diseases. The aim of this review is to give a brief overview of our current understanding of macrophage activation, distribution and function within inflamed tissue. This will provide the basis for highlighting already available and future methods to exploit specifically activated macrophages as diagnostic and therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis.
Keywords: Macrophages, atherosclerosis, inflammation, classical activation, alternative activation, imaging, plaque stability
Current Vascular Pharmacology
Title: Macrophages: Promising Targets for the Treatment of Atherosclerosis
Volume: 7 Issue: 2
Author(s): Heather M. Wilson, Robert N. Barker and Lars-Peter Erwig
Affiliation:
Keywords: Macrophages, atherosclerosis, inflammation, classical activation, alternative activation, imaging, plaque stability
Abstract: Atherosclerosis is now recognised as a chronic inflammatory disease occurring within the artery wall and ultimately responsible for myocardial infarction, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. A crucial step in atherogenesis is the infiltration of monocytes into the subendothelial space of large arteries where they differentiate into macrophages and become functionally active. Macrophage accumulation within plaques is a hallmark of all stages of atherosclerosis, indeed recent studies have shown their presence has the potential to act as a non-invasive marker of disease activity and plaque stability. Activated macrophages are major players in all stages of lesion development. They not only accumulate lipids but also express effector molecules that are pro-inflammatory, cytotoxic and chemotactic. Furthermore, they secrete enzymes that degrade extracellular matrix leading to plaque destabilisation and increased risk of rupture. However, macrophages are heterogeneous and when appropriately activated they have the potential to drive tissue remodelling and ultimately vascular repair. Pharmacological modulation of macrophage activities therefore represents an important strategy for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis and other inflammatory diseases. The aim of this review is to give a brief overview of our current understanding of macrophage activation, distribution and function within inflamed tissue. This will provide the basis for highlighting already available and future methods to exploit specifically activated macrophages as diagnostic and therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Wilson M. Heather, Barker N. Robert and Erwig Lars-Peter, Macrophages: Promising Targets for the Treatment of Atherosclerosis, Current Vascular Pharmacology 2009; 7 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157016109787455635
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157016109787455635 |
Print ISSN 1570-1611 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-6212 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases: Mechanisms, Diagnosis and Therapy
Ischemic cardiovascular disease includes myocardial infarction, coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, angina pectoris, etc., constitute the leading cause of patient mortality by preventing tissues from getting sufficient oxygen and nutrients. Ischemic heart disease, as a clinical condition, is characterized by myocardial ischemia, causing an imbalance between myocardial blood supply and demand, ...read more
TREATMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN CHRONIC AND END STAGE KIDNEY DISEASE
Cardiovascular disease still remains the leading cause of death in Chronic and End Stage Kidney Disease, accounting for more than half of all deaths in dialysis patients. During the past decade, research has been focused on novel therapeutic agents that might delay or even reverse cardiovascular disease and vascular calcification, ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Editorial (Hot Topic: New Insight into the RAMP-based Family B GPCRs and their Peptide Ligands)
Current Protein & Peptide Science Potential Impact of Genetic Variants in Nrf2 Regulated Antioxidant Genes and Risk Prediction of Diabetes and Associated Cardiac Complications
Current Medicinal Chemistry Update on Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa: Role in Primary Coronary Intervention
Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Prevention of Serum Albumin Glycation/Fibrillation by β-Cyclodextrin Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles
Protein & Peptide Letters Endothelial Dysfunction in Dyslipidaemia: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Implications
Current Medicinal Chemistry Established and In-trial GPCR Families in Clinical Trials: A Review for Target Selection
Current Drug Targets Ischemic Colitis: Current Diagnosis and Treatment
Current Drug Targets Dissecting the Biological Effects of Isoflurane through the Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) and microRNAs (miRNAs)
Current Neurovascular Research Cytoskeletal Pathologies of Age-Related Diseases between Elderly Sri Lankan (Colombo) and Indian (Bangalore) Brain Samples
Current Alzheimer Research DNA and RNA Aptamers: From Tools for Basic Research Towards Therapeutic Applications
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening Pharmacology of Ivabradine and the Effect on Chronic Heart Failure
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Activated Immune System and Inflammation in Healthy Ageing: Relevance for Tryptophan and Neopterin Metabolism
Current Pharmaceutical Design Susceptibility Genes for the Side Effect of Antipsychotics on Body Weight and Obesity
Current Drug Targets Aortic Arch Calcification and Mortality in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients
Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials Autosomal Dominant Hypercholesterolemia: Needs for Early Diagnosis and Cascade Screening in the Tunisian Population
Current Genomics Phytoestrogen-Rich Dietary Supplements in Anti-Atherosclerotic Therapy in Postmenopausal Women
Current Pharmaceutical Design Cognitive Decline as a Consequence of Essential Hypertension
Current Pharmaceutical Design Medical Management of the Diabetic Patient with Coronary Artery Disease
Current Pharmaceutical Design Novel Methods of Insulin Replacement: The Artificial Pancreas and Encapsulated Islets
Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials Leptin as Clinical Target
Recent Patents on Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery