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Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Quantification of Monocyte Transmigration and Foam Cell Formation from Individuals with Chronic Inflammatory Conditions
Published on: October 17, 2017
Monocyte fate in atherosclerosis
Ingo Hilgendorf1, Filip K Swirski2, Clinton S Robbins1
1From 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.). ingo.hilgendorf@universitaets-herzzentrum.de clint.robbins@utoronto.ca.
Abstract:
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.
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