The Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Vascul Pharmacol. 2012 Aug 19;57(1):24-8. doi: 10.1016/j.vph.2012.02.011. Epub 2012 Feb 27.
Macrophages and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) represent major players in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic vascular diseases. SMCs often reside in close proximity to macrophage clusters. Activated macrophages may promote pro-atherogenic functions of SMCs. Addressing macrophage-dependent mechanisms of SMC activation may provide new insight into atherogenesis and new therapies for various vascular diseases. Direct evidence for such interplay between atherosclerosis-associated cell types, however, remains scant. While SMC-derived macrophage foam cells have long been reported, recent evidence has also identified SMC-like cells of monocyte origin, suggesting dynamic interchangeability of these cell types. Future efforts may help to understand the interplay between key cell types and offer new paradigms in vascular medicine and pharmacology.
巨噬细胞和平滑肌细胞（SMCs）是动脉粥样硬化性血管疾病发病机制中的主要参与者。SMC 通常与巨噬细胞簇密切相邻。活化的巨噬细胞可能促进 SMC 的促动脉粥样硬化功能。针对 SMC 活化的巨噬细胞依赖性机制可能为动脉粥样硬化的发生提供新的见解，并为各种血管疾病提供新的治疗方法。然而，这种与动脉粥样硬化相关细胞类型之间相互作用的确切证据仍然很少。虽然长期以来一直报道 SMC 衍生的巨噬细胞泡沫细胞，但最近的证据也鉴定了单核细胞来源的 SMC 样细胞，提示这些细胞类型的动态可互换性。未来的研究可能有助于了解关键细胞类型之间的相互作用，并为血管医学和药理学提供新的范例。
