Understanding Atherosclerotic Plaque Cellular Composition: Recent Advances Driven by Single Cell Omics.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Biology
• Immunology
• Genomics and Proteomics

Background:

• Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory arterial disease, a primary cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality.
• Plaque formation involves immune and non-immune cells responding to lipid accumulation and dysregulated immune responses.
• Previous understanding focused on passive lipid buildup, but atherosclerosis is now recognized as a complex inflammatory and remodeling process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in understanding atherosclerosis pathophysiology using single-cell technologies.
• To analyze the roles and subsets of major cell types within atherosclerotic plaques.
• To identify novel therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis based on single-cell data.

Main Methods:

• Application of single-cell transcriptomic and proteomic technologies to analyze atherosclerotic lesions.
• Detailed examination of cellular heterogeneity and functional states within plaque microenvironments.
• Integration of multi-omics data to map cellular interactions and disease drivers.

Main Results:

• Identification of distinct cellular subsets within macrophages, T-cells, B-cells, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells.
• Elucidation of specific functional roles for these subsets in promoting or resolving inflammation and plaque progression.
• Revealed discrepancies and areas of consensus regarding cellular contributions to atherosclerosis.

Conclusions:

• Single-cell omics technologies provide unprecedented resolution into the cellular complexity of atherosclerosis.
• These findings are crucial for understanding disease mechanisms and developing targeted therapies.
• Continued advancements in single-cell technologies promise further breakthroughs in cardiovascular disease research.