Iron Macrophages: Dance of Death and MMP Release in Intraplaque Hemorrhage

Atherosclerosis causes significant morbidity and mortality through vessel narrowing or occlusion, causing coronary heart disease and stroke.[1] While some atherosclerotic plaques are stable and lie dormant for many years, others can become unstable, leading to plaque rupture and thereby triggering thrombosis and vessel occlusion, the major cause of myocardial infarction and stroke.[1] [2] Identifying the factors that lead to plaque instability and finding therapies that target unstable atherosclerotic plaques is an important goal of cardiovascular medicine.