Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2025
Facilitating Drug Discovery: An Automated High-content Inflammation Assay in Zebrafish
Published on: July 16, 2012
Anti-Inflammatory Drug Candidates for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases
Quentin Delbaere1, Nicolas Chapet1, Fabien Huet1,2
1Department of Cardiology, Arnaud de Villeneuve University Hospital, 34295 Montpellier, France.
Insights
New research explores inflammation
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular medicine
- Immunology
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death despite declining rates.
- Current treatments for atherosclerosis primarily target cholesterol levels.
- Atherosclerosis is increasingly recognized as an inflammatory disease, prompting new therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the pathophysiology of inflammation in cardiovascular disease.
- To discuss novel therapeutics targeting inflammatory pathways in atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on inflammation in atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction.
- Discussion of ongoing and completed randomized clinical trials for novel anti-inflammatory drugs.
Main Results:
- Colchicine is now recommended for atherosclerosis treatment.
- Eight clinical trials are investigating new drugs for inflammatory pathways in atherosclerosis.
- No current anti-inflammatory drug has shown significant benefit post-myocardial infarction, but four trials are underway.
Conclusions:
- Targeting inflammatory pathways represents a promising new frontier in cardiovascular disease treatment.
- Further research and clinical trials are essential to validate novel anti-inflammatory therapies for atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction.
Abstract:
Incidence and mortality rates for cardiovascular disease are declining, but it still remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Drug treatments to slow the progression of atherosclerosis focus on reducing cholesterol levels. The paradigm shift to consider atherosclerosis an inflammatory disease by itself has led to the development of new treatments. In this article, we discuss the pathophysiology of inflammation and focus attention on therapeutics targeting different inflammatory pathways of atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. In atherosclerosis, colchicine is included in new recommendations, and eight randomized clinical trials are testing new drugs in different inflammatory pathways. After a myocardial infarction, no drug has shown a significant benefit, but we present four randomized clinical trials with new treatments targeting inflammation.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System
01:26Atherosclerosis III: Management
01:20Antiplatelet Drugs: Prostaglandin Synthesis, P2Y12 and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors
Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by the widely known aspirin, wield their power by irreversibly acetylating...
01:18Cardiovascular Drugs: Classification based on Therapeutic Indications
01:16Antianginal Drugs: Nitrates and β-Blockers
Organic nitrates, such as nitroglycerin, play a pivotal role. Once metabolized, they liberate nitric oxide, a molecular marvel. Nitric oxide triggers guanylyl cyclase and augments cGMP production. This biochemical cascade orchestrates the relaxation of vascular smooth muscles, ushering in vasodilation and enhancing coronary blood flow....
01:21Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Glucocorticoids