Atherosclerosis: Recent developments

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the large arteries that is the major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke. Here, we review the current understanding of the molecular, cellular, genetic, and environmental contributions to atherosclerosis, from both individual pathway and systems perspectives. We place an emphasis on recent developments, some of which have yielded unexpected biology, including previously unknown heterogeneity of inflammatory and smooth muscle cells in atherosclerotic lesions, roles for senescence and clonal hematopoiesis, and links to the gut microbiome. Atherosclerosis has been intensively studied for decades, yet new and unexpected biology continues to be discovered. Lusis and Björkegren provide a concise but comprehensive updated view of the molecular, cellular, genetic, and environmental contributions to atherosclerosis.