Micro-RNAs and macrophage diversity in atherosclerosis: new players, new challenges…new opportunities for therapeutic intervention?

ABSTRACT: Efforts in experimental therapeutics of atherosclerosis are mostly focused on identifying candidate targets that can be exploited in developing new strategies to reduce plaque progression, induce its regression and/or improve stability of advanced lesions. Plaque macrophages are central players in all these processes, and consequently a significant amount of research is devoted to understanding mechanisms that regulate, for instance, macrophage apoptosis, necrosis or migration. Macrophage diversity is a key feature of the macrophage population in the plaque and can impact many aspects of lesion development. Thus, searching for molecular entities that contribute to atherorelevant functions of a specific macrophage type but not others may lead to identification of targets that can be exploit

SUBMITTER: Vazquez G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4594832 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature