The Role of Costimulatory Receptors of the Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor Family in Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is mediated by both the innate and adaptive immune responses. T lymphocytes, that together with B cells are the cellular effectors of the adaptive immune system, are currently endowed with crucial roles in the development and progression of athe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ricardo F. Antunes, Juan Carlos Kaski, Ingrid E. Dumitriu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2012-01-01
Series:Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/464532
Description
Summary:Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is mediated by both the innate and adaptive immune responses. T lymphocytes, that together with B cells are the cellular effectors of the adaptive immune system, are currently endowed with crucial roles in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Costimulatory receptors are a class of molecules expressed by T lymphocytes that regulate the activation of T cells and the generation of effector T-cell responses. In this review we present the roles of costimulatory receptors of the tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily in atherosclerosis and discuss the implications for future therapies that could be used to specifically modulate the immune response of pathogenic T cells in this disease.
ISSN:1110-7243
1110-7251