Journal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
Volume 305, Issue 1, Pages C1-C21Publisher
AMER PHYSIOLOGICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00017.2013
Keywords
atherosclerosis; dendritic cells; shear stress; vascular inflammation; vessel wall physiology
Categories
Funding
- National Institutes of Health [HL-095070, HL-7053, HHSN268201000043C]
- World Class University Project from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Education of S. Korea (MEST) [R31-2008-000-10010-0]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
A complex role has been described for dendritic cells (DCs) in the potentiation and control of vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis. Resident vascular DCs are found in the intima of atherosclerosis-prone vascular regions exposed to disturbed blood flow patterns. Several phenotypically and functionally distinct vascular DC subsets have been described. The functional heterogeneity of these cells and their contributions to vascular homeostasis, inflammation, and atherosclerosis are only recently beginning to emerge. Here, we review the available literature, characterizing the origin and function of known vascular DC subsets and their important role contributing to the balance of immune activation and immune tolerance governing vascular homeostasis under healthy conditions. We then discuss how homeostatic DC functions are disrupted during atherogenesis, leading to atherosclerosis. The effectiveness of DC-based atherosclerosis vaccine therapies in the treatment of atherosclerosis is also reviewed. We further provide suggestions for distinguishing DCs from macrophages and discuss important future directions for the field.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available