When a Friend Becomes Your Enemy: Natural Killer Cells in Atherosclerosis and Atherosclerosis- Associated Risk Factors
Creators
- 1. Laboratory of Innate Immunity, Unit of Molecular Pathology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) MultiMedica, Milano, Italy,
- 2. Laboratory of Immunology and General Pathology, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
- 3. Laboratory of Cardiovascular Physiopathology-Regenerative Medicine, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
- 4. Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) MultiMedica, Milano, Italy
- 5. Division of Cardiology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- 6. Laboratory of Innate Immunity, Unit of Molecular Pathology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) MultiMedica, Milano, Italy
Description
Atherosclerosis (ATS), the change in structure and function of arteries with associated
lesion formation and altered blood flow, is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease, the
number one killer worldwide. Beyond dyslipidemia, chronic inflammation, together with
aberrant phenotype and function of cells of both the innate and adaptive immune system,
are now recognized as relevant contributors to atherosclerosis onset and progression.
While the role of macrophages and T cells in atherosclerosis has been addressed in
several studies, Natural Killer cells (NKs) represent a poorly explored immune cell type, that
deserves attention, due to NKs’ emerging contribution to vascular homeostasis.
Furthermore, the possibility to re-polarize the immune system has emerged as a
relevant tool to design new therapies, with some succesfull exmples in the field of
cancer immunotherapy. Thus, a deeper knowledge of NK cell pathophysiology in the
context of atherosclerosis and atherosclerosis-associated risk factors could help
developing new preventive and treatment strategies, and decipher the complex
scenario/history from “the risk factors for atherosclerosis” Here, we review the current
knowledge about NK cell phenotype and activities in atherosclerosis and selected
atherosclerosis risk factors, namely type-2 diabetes and obesity, and discuss the
related NK-cell oriented environmental signals.
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This paper can be consulted upon request to the corresponding author Antonino Bruno
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