Atherosclerosis is a chronic,inflammatory disorder characterized by the deposition of excess lipids in the arterial intima.The formation of macrophage-derived foam cells in a plaque is a hallmark of the development of atherosclerosis.Lipid homeostasis,especially cho-lesterol homeostasis,plays a crucial role during the formation of foam cells.Recently,lipid droplet-associated proteins,including PAT and CIDE family proteins,have been shown to control the development of athero-sclerosis by regulating the formation,growth,stabiliza-tion and functions of lipid droplets in macrophage-derived foam cells.This review focuses on the potential mechanisms of formation of macrophage-derived foam cells in atherosclerosis with particular emphasis on the role of lipid homeostasis and lipid droplet-associated proteins.Understanding the process of foam cell for-mation will aid in the future discovery of novel thera-peutic interventions for atherosclerosis.
