Interleukin-1 in Atherosclerosis: Roles and Targeted Therapeutic Potential

XU Chen¹, WU Chenxia², CHENG Hongqiang¹, KE Yuehai¹*

(¹Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China;²Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310006, China)

Abstract:

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by unbalanced lipid metabolisms and maladaptive immune responses. The initiation and progression of atherosclerosis are always accompanied by inflammatory responses. Activated monocytes and macrophages produce interleukin-1, a pro-inflammatory cytokine that serves as a key messenger of inflammatory signaling, promoting atherosclerotic plaque growth and vascular remodeling. Interleukin-1 is an important therapeutic target for atherosclerosis. Canakinumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, shows anti-atherosclerotic effects in the CANTOS clinical trial, ushering in a new era of anti-inflammatory therapies for atherosclerosis. This article reviews the role of interleukin-1 in atherosclerosis and the clinical trials in targeting interleukin-1 to arouse a comprehensive thinking for anti-inflammatory therapies in atherosclerosis.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2020.08.0017