TREM2 as a Therapeutic Target in Atherosclerosis

ABSTRACT Atherosclerosis is driven by the expansion of cholesterol‐loaded foamy macrophages in the arterial intima. Single‐cell RNA sequencing has recently revealed the transcriptional landscape of macrophages in these atherosclerotic plaques and uncovered a population of foamy cell‐like myeloid cells expressing triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells‐2 (TREM2)—TREM2 hi macrophages. Fundamental research has brought essential insight into the significance of TREM2 for foam macrophage survival and atherosclerosis progression, making TREM2 as a therapeutic target in atherosclerosis possible. This review retraces TREM2's winding route from pure knowledge to therapeutic interventions, as well as the potential feasibility of its clinical application for atherosclerosis.