Therapeutic strategies to deplete macrophages in atherosclerotic plaques.
Macrophages can be found in all stages of atherosclerosis and are major contributors of atherosclerotic plaque development, progression and destabilization. Continuous recruitment of monocytes drives this chronic inflammatory disease, which can be intervened by several strategies: reducing the inflammatory stimulus by lowering circulating lipids and promoting cholesterol efflux from plaque, direct and indirect targeting of adhesion molecules and chemokines involved in monocyte adhesion and transmigration and inducing macrophage death in atherosclerotic plaques in combination with anti-inflammatory drugs. This review discusses the outlined strategies to deplete macrophages from atherosclerotic plaques to promote plaque stabilization.
Division of Physiopharmacology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. guido.demeyer@ua.ac.be
Inge
I
De Meyer
Wim
W
Martinet
Guido R Y
GR
De Meyer
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001692:Biological Transport; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects; D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; C506642:CETP protein, human; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL