Targeting the adaptive immune system: new strategies in the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a lipid-driven chronic inflammatory disease of the arterial wall. Current treatment of atherosclerosis is focused on limiting its risk factors, such as hyperlipidemia or hypertension. However, treatments that target the inflammatory nature of atherosclerosis are still under development. Discovery of novel targets involved in the inflammation of the arterial wall creates opportunities to design new therapeutics that successfully modulate atherosclerosis. Here, we review drug targets that have proven to play pivotal roles in the adaptive immune system in atherosclerosis, and we discuss their potential as novel therapeutics.