From the Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Heart Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (I.H.); Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (F.K.S.); and Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Immunology, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Toronto General Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada (C.S.R.).
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2015 Feb;35(2):272-9. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.114.303565. Epub 2014 Dec 23.
Monocytes and their descendant macrophages are essential to the development and exacerbation of atherosclerosis, a lipid-driven inflammatory disease. Lipid-laden macrophages, known as foam cells, reside in early lesions and advanced atheromata. Our understanding of how monocytes accumulate in the growing lesion, differentiate, ingest lipids, and contribute to disease has advanced substantially over the last several years. These cells' remarkable phenotypic and functional complexity is a therapeutic opportunity: in the future, treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease and its complications may involve specific targeting of atherogenic monocytes/macrophages and their products.
单核细胞及其衍生的巨噬细胞对于动脉粥样硬化（一种由脂质驱动的炎症性疾病）的发展和恶化至关重要。富含脂质的巨噬细胞，即泡沫细胞，存在于早期病变和晚期动脉粥样硬化斑块中。在过去的几年中，我们对单核细胞如何在生长中的病变中积累、分化、摄取脂质以及促进疾病发展有了更深入的了解。这些细胞显著的表型和功能复杂性为治疗提供了机会：未来，心血管疾病及其并发症的治疗和预防可能涉及针对动脉粥样硬化性单核细胞/巨噬细胞及其产物的特异性靶向治疗。
