Atherosclerosis is driven by the release of cytokines from macrophages, and the β isoform of interleukin-1 (IL-1β) is a prime suspect in disease progression. Freigang et al. (2013) now suggest that IL-1α, a close relative, is selectively induced by fatty acids independent of the inflammasome to promote vascular inflammation.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.