Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 18, 2026

A Human Ex Vivo Atherosclerotic Plaque Model to Study Lesion Biology
Published on: May 6, 2014
Emerging evidence of trained immunity and inflammatory programming in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
Ilana S Nazari1, Samuel A McFarlane2, Meena S Madhur3
1Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Chicago, Illinois, United States; ilana.nazari@northwestern.edu.
Abstract:
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide despite major advances in risk factor attenuation and lipid-lowering therapies. Inflammation is a central driver of atherosclerosis, contributing to disease initiation, progression, and excess cardiovascular risk. This article summarizes the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis with a focus on the inflammatory mechanisms underlying plaque development and instability, anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies, and the emerging role of epigenetic and metabolic programming of innate immune cells in perpetuating unresolved inflammation.
Related Concept Videos
Inflammation
Atherosclerosis I: Introduction
Coronary Artery Disease I: Introduction
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
Coronary Artery Disease II: Pathophysiology
Atherosclerosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Tests