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Updated: Mar 9, 2026
Facilitating Drug Discovery: An Automated High-content Inflammation Assay in Zebrafish
Published on: July 16, 2012
Anti-inflammatory drugs as promising cardiovascular treatments
Fabien Huet1,2, Mariama Akodad1,2, Jérémy Fauconnier2
1a Cardiology Department, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, UFR de Médecine , Université Montpellier 1 , Montpellier cedex , France.
Insights
Inflammation drives atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction by promoting plaque formation and cardiac remodeling. While non-invasive imaging and anti-inflammatory drugs show promise, clinical translation for cardiovascular disease remains limited.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Inflammation is a key driver in atherosclerosis development and plaque destabilization.
- Myocardial infarction involves an inflammatory response to cardiomyocyte necrosis, impacting cardiac repair and remodeling.
- Cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction are significantly influenced by inflammatory processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction with a focus on inflammation.
- To present non-invasive techniques for in vivo inflammation assessment in cardiovascular disease.
- To summarize anti-inflammatory drugs, including their mechanisms, studies, and ongoing clinical trials.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on inflammation in atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction.
- Description of non-invasive imaging modalities for detecting cardiovascular inflammation.
- Compilation of data on anti-inflammatory agents targeting cardiovascular conditions.
Main Results:
- Atherosclerosis pathophysiology and plaque destabilization are strongly linked to inflammation.
- Inflammatory responses in myocardial infarction influence cardiac healing and adverse remodeling.
- Several anti-inflammatory drugs are under investigation for cardiovascular applications, with ongoing trials.
Conclusions:
- Despite the recognized role of inflammation in cardiovascular diseases, clinical applications of anti-inflammatory strategies are currently limited.
- Active research in both basic and clinical settings aims to translate findings into effective treatments.
- Future clinical trials will determine the efficacy of modulating inflammatory pathways for cardiovascular disease management.
Introduction:
Inflammation is a well-known powerful effector of atherosclerosis development. Cell infiltration induces inflammatory signal increasing plaque formation as well as its destabilization, leading to cardiovascular disease including myocardial infarction. During ischemia, necrotic cardiomyocytes stimulate the inflammatory storm into the myocardium (by chemokines, vascular adhesion molecules, interleukins action) promoting cardiac repair but also remodeling. Areas covered: Herein the authors present each condition (atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction) in two separate parts. Pathophysiology is briefly presented and focused on its implication in inflammation. Non-invasive techniques are presented, which explore inflammation in vivo. Several anti-inflammatory drugs are presented (mechanism of action, already published studies and ongoing trials are summarized). Expert commentary: Whereas atherosclerosis, regarding both the step-by-step pathophysiology and the acute plaque destabilization, is widely recognized as involving inflammatory pathways, the current translations in clinical practice remain poor. However, both basic and clinical research are active in the field, and the first large trials should soon be available, corroborating or not whether modulating inflammatory processes could be of interest in clinical practice.
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