With atherosclerosis being the number one cause of death in the western world, this handbook and ready reference provides a comprehensive account of the different stages and factors in the development of the atherosclerotic plaque.
Each chapter is written by experts in the field and highlights the role of specific mediators of atherosclerotic plaque development, as well as potential therapeutic targets. A large amount of this up-to-date information is conveyed by way of tables and schematic figures, in a readily comprehensible manner.
A must-have for master and PhD students, researchers, MDs and lecturers in vascular biology and cardiology, as well as for academics and scientists in the pharmaceutical industry.

Sarah George is a Reader in the Bristol Heart Institute at the University of Bristol. After obtaining her undergraduate and post-doctoral degree at the University of Cardiff she moved to the University of Bristol. Her research interests are the regulation of smooth muscle cell behaviour in atherosclerosis and restenosis, most recent studies have focused on the role of cell-cell contacts and the Wnt pathway. Dr George has written over 50 scientific original articles and was awarded the British Atherosclerosis Society John French Lecture in 2005.

Jason Johnson is a British Heart Foundation Intermediate Research Fellow at the University of Bristol. He undertook both his Masters and Doctorate at the University of Bristol in the Bristol Heart Institute. His research interests are the role of matrix metalloproteinases in atherosclerosis and restenosis. He also contributed to the establishment of the first spontaneous mouse model of atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Dr Johnson was awarded the British Atherosclerosis Society Young Investigator Award

INTRODUCTION
PATHOGENESIS OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS. Sarah George& Cressida Lyon
PROINFLAMMATORY FACTORS
CHEMOKINES AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS: A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF THERAPEUTIC TARGETS. Gemma White, Keith Channon& David Greaves
ADHESION MOLECULES AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS Huan Wang& Yuqing Huo
CYTOKINES AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS. Alain Tedgui, Hafid Ait-Oufella and Ziad Mallat
TOLL-LIKE RECEPTORS IN ATHEROSCLEROSIS Zhong-qun Yan, Kristina Edfeldt& Anna Lundberg
PPAR-BASED THERAPIES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS Florence Gizard& Ines Pineda-Torra
PENTRAXINS IN VASCULAR PATHOLOGY: THE ROLE OF PTX3. Alberto Mantovani, Cecilia Garlanda, Barbara Bottazzi, Fabiola Molla& Roberto Latini
PROTEASES
METALLOPROTEINASES, THE ENDOTHELIUM AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS Stephen White& Andrew Newby
CATHEPSINS IN ATHEROSCLEROSIS Lili Bai, Esther Lutgens& Sylvia Heeneman
THE PLASMIN SYSTEM AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS Chris Jackson& Kevin Carson
MAST CELL PROTEASES AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS Petri Kovanen
HYPERLIPIDEMIA
MACROPHAGE FOAM CELL FORMATION: THE PATHWAYS TO CHOLESTEROL ENGORGEMENT. Kathryn Moore& Katey Rayner
OXIDATIVE STRESS
NADPH OXIDASE AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS Jamie Jeremy, Saima Muzaffar, Carina Mill& Nilima Shukla
UNCOUPLING OF ENDOTHELIAL NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE IN ATHEROSCLEROSIS. Colin Cunnington& Keith Channon
HEME OXYGENASE-1 AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS Justin Mason& Faisal Ali
CELL GROWTH AND PHENOTYPE
PHENOTYPIC HETEROGENEITY OF SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS. IMPLICATIONS FOR ATHEROSCLEROSIS Marie-Matteo Coen and Luce Bochaton-Piallat
PLATELETS: THEIR ROLE IN ATHEROGENESIS AND THROMBOSIS IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. Matthew Harper, Lucy MacCarthy-Morrogh, Matthew Jones, Olga Konopatskaya& Alastair Poole
MODULATORS OF MONOCYTE AND MACROPHAGE PHENOTYPES IN ATHEROSCLEROSIS Nick Jenkins& Jason Johnson