Lipid Metabolism in Different Monocyte and Macrophage Subsets in Cardiovascular Disease

Immune cells in our body called macrophages engulf excessive amounts of ‘bad’ cholesterol. This leads to blocked arteries, resulting in the leading cause of death in the world - heart disease. Raising the levels of ‘good’ cholesterol was a therapeutic goal in lowering the risk of heart disease. However, failed clinical trials have brought this idea into question. We discovered that macrophages lose their ability to off-load cholesterol due to a lack of energy, causing over-accumulating ‘bad’ cholesterol. For the first time, we have shown that restoring energy levels, reinstates their ability to off-load cholesterol and could decrease heart disease.